One of the developers involved with the former Cloverdale Mall site has started preliminary site work in anticipation of breaking ground on The Bristol – a four-storey rental project with retail space on the ground floor – this spring.
Project manager Ross Moore of Townline gave an update on the long-awaited project to Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce members Feb. 9 at the monthly networking luncheon.
“As I’m sure you are all aware, there is a bit of history to it,” he said, adding he was pleased to say the building phase is set to begin within a couple of months, provided final permitting approvals from the city are in place.
The project will be the first to go ahead on the Cloverdale West Village site, formerly the Cloverdale Plaza shopping mall, which was torn down in 2011 to make way for re-development, but over the past five years plans have stalled as property owner Surrey City Development Corp. dealt with various complications.
Townline became the fee simple owner of the southwest parcel of the property in July, and is waiting for council’s approval on a development permit to start building a four-storey residential and commercial building.
The Bristol, at 5738 175 Street, will have 85 one-and two-bedroom residential units, along with retail space on the ground floor.
If the building permit is approved in March, the project could be set to break ground in April, with final completion in summer 2017 or later that winter.
“We’re all eager to get something nice and meaningful on that lot,” he said. The second developer is Mosaic, which is looking to build on the section of the property that lies directly north of the Cloverdale Legion, a parcel that can’t be developed until environmental remediation is complete on a section of contaminated soil stemming from a former dry cleaning business.
Townline was initially in line to build phase one of the Cloverdale West Village project, which would have housed a new home for the Cloverdale Legion and new commercial and residential units, but the project was delayed, in part by a sluggish condominium market, and later, the contamination.
Last fall, Surrey City Development Corporation officials said the bioremediation process is expected to be complete by this coming September.
In December, SCDC installed new chain link fencing and historic banners around the site. More recently Townline set up a site trailer to accommodate crews who will be coming to the site sporadically for surveying and initial start up works.
Moore said Townline has 35 years experience developing a variety of housing and commercial projects, including a 900-unit residential and commercial building in Victoria, and Clayton Rise, a townhouse development at 68A Avenue and 195 Street.
“It’s gratifying to us to be involved in a town where people are so involved and so caring,” Moore said. “We’re very excited to be building in Cloverdale.”
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