Work is coming to an end, and you can’t wait for the evening to start. It’s about a 5-minute walk from your office to home, and you’re meeting friends for dinner and drinks in the Grand Lobby of your gorgeous, state-of-the-art building that you’re proud to call home. This will be a reality for residents of 3 Civic Plaza, an once-in-a-lifetime development that is truly integrated in the heart of Surrey City Centre.
Located directly within the beautifully-designed Civic Plaza, 3 Civic Plaza is the only residential tower in the plaza and is one of three buildings to inhabit Surrey’s downtown core. Not only will this luxury development be home to a premium hotel and office spaces, but it is the tallest building south of the Fraser and the fifth tallest in the Lower Mainland.
Moreover, the City Centre Library and Surrey City Hall are also situated in the plaza, and will add to the integrated public space, where 3 Civic Plaza residents, guests and citizens of Surrey can connect, celebrate and inspire in this cultural, economic and social hub.
The world-class amenities set this development apart, especially its two-storey Grand Lobby with floor-to-ceiling windows, innovative design, residential concierge services and restaurant and café – all of which will function as a social space for Surrey citizens and of course, the residents and guests of 3 Civic Plaza.
“We had a vision to animate the Civic Plaza – bringing life and activity to it throughout the day that continued once the employees and patrons of the new library and city hall had gone home. Our goal was to create a space that literally served as the heart of the city,” says Patrick Cotter, principal of Cotter Architects, who designed the project.
“So I would hope the sentiment that the area communicates is one of community. One of the primary ways that we have sought to accomplish this is through the design of a unique ground-level feature – a massive, ‘great room-style’ lobby that is shared by the hotel and residents. This great room allows an interaction between residents and guests that will extend out to the plaza,” he adds.
The Future Lives Here
The City of Surrey has strived to create an identity for Surrey as a strong, thriving community that is a emerging as a metropolitan city. “Surrey is a city of vibrant communities, where modern urban development occurs in harmony with green spaces, parks and farmland. Our citizens are proud of Surrey – the future lives here and we’re building British Columbia’s next great metropolitan centre!” says Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts.
Working to make this plan a reality is Century Group and the Surrey City Development Corporation, who are the visionaries behind the 3 Civic Plaza project.
“Nothing like 3 Civic Plaza has ever been built outside Vancouver. We recognize the importance of furthering the development of Surrey’s emerging City Centre,” says Century Group President Sean Hodgins.
“Downtown Surrey has been designated as the next metropolitan core for the region, becoming the central business district for the communities south of the Fraser River,” says Sarah Atkinson, development manager for SCDC.
She goes on to say SCDC has been involved in a number of transformative projects in Surrey, including the design and creation of the Civic Plaza. “We are proud to be a part of this iconic development – 3 Civic Plaza – designed to enhance the plaza and the city centre,” she adds.
“I am very happy we have a partnership with Century Group, who hold dear the values we have as a city,” Mayor Watts concludes.
3 Civic Plaza – The Future Is Here
Standing at 50 storeys tall, this development is like none other in features, design, location, amenities and sustainability. “In terms of vision and building a community, we wanted to include amenities structured around the mixed-use functionality of the building that are relevant and essentially curates 3 Civic Plaza as a destination for home, work and play,” says David Laulainen, Director, Communications and Business Development for Century Group.
The tallest building south of the Fraser will be home to its two-storey Grand Lobby with a restaurant and café; a spectacular rooftop garden; secured underground parking and bike storage; world-class hotel amenities, such as fitness centre, swimming pool with sundeck and garden terrace; grand ballroom, meeting rooms and co-working space for residents, hotel guests and office tenants.
Furthermore residents will have access to their own residential concierge services to assist with diverse requests, from fresh dinner room-service to 3 Civic Plaza’s own car sharing network.
Although this development is a mixed-use building with hotel, offices and residences, one of the best feature for residents, who will be located above the 16th floor, is the unobstructed views of the majestic mountains, city landscape and Fraser River. Imagine watching the sun rise over the mountain vistas each morning before work, then later enjoying a glass of wine on your balcony after a long day and appreciating the beauty and grandeur of the sun setting and breathtaking views of the city and beyond.
As Surrey is making its mark as a renowned business centre, the world-class Civic Hotel will offer an unparalled experience for travellers from around the world, who are flying in to specifically conduct corporate transactions with Surrey’s business elite. Century Group will manage the 144-room hotel, which will be linked to an international hotel chain, and 40,000 guests are expected to stay per year in Civic Hotel. According to Hodgins, a hotel at this calibre level hasn’t “been built in Surrey in 20 years and since the Sheraton Guildford opened, there has been no major hotel built south of the Fraser.”
Another integral feature for 3 Civic Plaza is its close orientation to the Surrey Central SkyTrain station, allowing residents to travel for work or pleasure without their vehicle to Vancouver or neighbouring suburbs. When Mayor Watts vision for light rail transit (LRT) comes to fruition in the near future, residents will also have access to that system, making this a transit enriched area. This downtown core is extremely pedestrian friendly, as Central City Shopping Centre, Simon Fraser University and additional establishments, are within walking distance.
“I’ve worked all over the world and I cannot readily find examples of developments like this that are truly integrated into a public, social or civic space. I don’t know any other project whose front door of residences, hotel and offices is all wonderfully integrated into a plaza,” says W. Scott Brown, Senior VP, Residential and Commercial Marketing Services for Colliers International. “This is just one of those projects that don’t come along that often, where you get to be part of true place making as opposed to just putting up residential buildings,” he adds.
Urban Living
3 Civic Plaza will offer the followin g units: 1 bedroom, 1 bedroom plus den, 2 bedroom, 2 bedroom plus den – ranging in size from 520 to 1,223 square feet. In addition, there will be penthouse units on the 51st floor. The spacious and stylish units with balconies will offer high-end appliances and finishes, custom millwork and technological elements, such as wall outlets with built-in USB plugs for devices. Residents can choose from light and dark wood options for flooring, cabinetry and overall colour design palettes.
A great sustainability feature for 3 Civic Plaza is City of Surrey’s geo-exchange energy system, underneath the Civic Plaza, that uses water to transfer heat energy. According to Maurice Ouelette, Century Group’s VP for Corporate Development, 3 Civic Plaza and the surrounding buildings will be attached to this system and “the buildings will be able to trade energy depending on usage during the day, which makes this an extremely green project.”
Cotter further talks about the project’s appearance, sustainability and unique features saying “This building is designed with an external structure expressed as a unique building element. The concrete shear walls, with their distinctive organic window openings, are but one of the project’s unique features. The innovative integration of natural ventilation, hydronic heating and connection to a district energy system improves human comfort and are sustainable design strategies.”
Brown says 3 Civic Plaza reflects urban living and lifestyle, and Surrey is now emerging as a second city to Vancouver, like Brooklyn to Manhattan or Mississauga to Toronto. The people that will want to live here “want a more pedestrian-oriented lifestyle, access to civic amenities and possibly access to Vancouver for special occasions of events. They want premium, but want more value, which equates to more space,” he adds. What potential residents or investors will see at 3 Civic Plaza’s presentation centre, in terms of display homes, is “not a mark up, but what you see, is what you get.”
3 Civic Plaza is slated for completion in Fall of 2015, and there will be 350 homes in the overall development. This spring, a cross-section of inventory, approximately 180 to 220 homes will be released for pre-sale. The prices will range from the low-to-mid $200,000’s for a 1-bedroom space, and Brown says the 2-bedroom spaces are larger than similar Vancouver spaces by 5-10 per cent and start in the high 300,000’s for a 900-square-foot space or larger.
“There is a good portion of inventory that is larger than 1,000 square feet. I challenge anyone to show me where you can find a 1,200-square-foot premium condominium residence on transit for under $700,000,” says Brown. “Value is the key word for 3 Civic Plaza, and with Surrey growing as one of the fastest business centres, we are committed to creating the best address, which is our vision for the project.”
Creating Community
“The Civic Centre complex creates a sense of place, in the grand sense. A place that is the true centre of the city, its core, its downtown. A place where people, activities, ideas and conversations will converge, creating a sense of liveliness, possibility, excitement and energy,” says Chief Librarian Melanie Houlden, Surrey Libraries.
Surrey’s City Centre is a source of pride for residents, and in sharing with this sentiment, Century Group who is committed to philanthropy in the communities they build, has donated $10,000 to the Surrey Libraries ‘Literacy for Life’ campaign, in particular to the ‘Read to Baby’ program. This program strives to encourage reading and learning to combat illiteracy among children.
Century Group is “setting the pace for corporate giving and helping build a culture of philanthropy in Surrey,” adds Houlden.
Setting Precedent
“Establishing a vision for this project was very much a forward-thinking exercise,” says Cotter. “It wasn’t simply a matter of responding to the existing context of the area, but to envision the Civic Plaza of the future. We wanted this project to be a landmark building that would set a precedent for developments to come.”
As the philosophy for 3 Civic Plaza is community, there is a ‘Walk Live Work area purchasing program’ for individuals who are employed in the area and would carry out this philosophy by walking to work and living in the same community.
For more info, visit 3civicplaza.ca/walklivework/.
“In many ways, Surrey is the new face of Canada, as it’s much more culturally diverse than Vancouver. Although Vancouver is diverse, I think Surrey probably has a wider spectrum of ethnicities,” says Brown. Keeping this in mind, the interior designs and custom millwork in 3 Civic Plaza incorporate the different ethnic influences in the city for its residents to appreciate.
A truly unique vision and landmark development, 3 Civic Plaza combines spectacular residences; a world-class luxury hotel; stunning office spaces; a host of diverse features and amenities; and a Grand Lobby that will not only be the talk of the town, but culminate into the social, economic and cultural hub of Surrey’s City Centre.
3 Civic Plaza is located on City Parkway at the crossroad of 104th Avenue, and its stunning Presentation Centre is located at 10277 King George Blvd.
For more information, or to register, visit 3civicplaza.ca.
Call Century Group at 604-943-2203 or Colliers International at 604-661-0877