There is a lot of change on the horizon for Cloverdale.
According to the Cloverdale Business Improvement Association’s annual general meeting on Monday, Feb. 27, residents can not only expect an increase in population and businesses but a transition away from a country-living style to what the new town centre plan calls “neo-warehouse.”
Within two years, residents can expect to have 97 apartments, 171 townhomes and 22,000 sq. ft. of commercial space added to downtown Cloverdale, said BIA president Dean Moore.
Three different residential developments along 176 Street are either currently under development or are expected to break ground before 2018.
The Bristol, which will be ready for lease and rental as soon as this fall, will add 97 apartments and 10,000 sq. ft. of commercial space. The BIA hopes that Mosaic will break ground on 112 townhomes during 2017.
The developments will ultimately bring 500 to 700 new residents to downtown Cloverdale, according to Paul Orazietti, BIA executive director.
Moore also noted that over the past year, Cloverdale’s number of businesses grew from 245 to 268, an increase of nine per cent, and that the BIA hopes to continue that growth.
New town centre plan revealed
Don Luymes, Surrey’s manager of community planning, presented Cloverdale’s next town centre plan—one that’s been nearly 17 years in the making.
The plan focuses on transforming Cloverdale into a “distinctive destination” by enhancing public spaces, establishing ground floor commercial space requirements, proposing a new standard of urban design and celebrating Cloverdale’s history.
He said the future of Cloverdale will be a “neo-warehouse” style, with new developments featuring design elements of brick and glass.
“It’s not the sort of wagon wheel, tack style that I think is prevalent in the 70’s and 80’s when I grew up here,” said Luymes. “It’s keeping up with some of the hip-happenings that are happening on main street now.”
Luymes said the “warehouse district” style would present a contemporary, yet “historically appropriate feel” and that 176A Street will retain it’s small town chic.
‘Controversial’ parking
Don Luymes said the issue of parking was a “controversial” one when presenting the new town centre plan, but that the new blueprint would address the concerns of Cloverdale residents and businesses.
The BIA is working with the City of Surrey on parking initiatives to maintain and secure new parking in Cloverdale.
According to Luymes, the parking survey the city conducted in 2016 found that the existing supply of parking “exceeds current demands” within the town centre.
The new town centre plan proposes distributing parking lots more evenly throughout the downtown, but won’t add much more to the 6,200 stalls currently available.
Orazietti said that depending on the day the survey was conducted, it may have missed the packed lots some residents are familiar with. That, combined with the expected 500 to 700 new residents moving into downtown Cloverdale and the expansion of the museum, which will require a parking variance itself, businesses and residents may feel a parking crush as Cloverdale continues to grow.
