The Surrey Board of Trade has thrown its support behind a controversial two-highrise residential development proposed for South Surrey that includes significant arts amenities – among them a 350-seat theatre and a contemporary arts café/gallery.
The development, planned for 152 Street at 19 Avenue by co-developers the Surrey City Development Corporation and the Reifel Cooke Group, has met some opposition based on height – the equivalent of 27 storeys in most recently published plans.
CEO Anita Huberman said in a SBOT news release that “artists and cultural spaces are powerful agents of change in the community.
“(They) make Surrey a destination not only for local residents but also for the region and the province.”
Huberman said the proposed development would “help create a cultural hub in South Surrey.”
SBOT’s comprehensive strategic plan, she added, encompasses creating an action plan on how to accelerate the “creative economy” in Surrey – identifying creative industries and noting why they are necessary for economic development.
“There’s no time like the present to begin talking about strategic investments and initiatives in Surrey that will strengthen our creative industries such as theatre, film, digital animation, the development of galleries both public and private, the inclusion of public art in civic and private developments, and more.”
