City-centre development offers all the amenities
Surrey is a city on the move, not just outwards but also inwards and upwards. Witness the latest development from Concord Pacific: the west tower of its Park Avenue complex, which is changing the skyline in the centre of Innovation Boulevard.
This downtown development is driven by demographics, explains Concord Pacific sales executive Vincent Kou. Besides the usual number of homeowners looking to downsize and/or be close to downtown activities, he says, the population is increasing because “right now the city is experiencing tremendous growth in commercial developments and infrastructure. For instance, just within the eight blocks of where we’re developing there’s the new city hall, the new library, the new Surrey Memorial Hospital expansion, the new RCMP headquarters. All this translates into a lot of jobs and demand for homes in the area.”
Kou also points out that, as Vancouver home prices increase, the population pushes towards the Fraser Valley. The Surrey area is larger than Vancouver and is now home to approximately 500,000 people (as opposed to Vancouver’s 600,000), and there’s still room to grow, as evidenced by the more than 1,000 new residents who move to Surrey every month, and the more than 2,000 businesses moving there annually.
Concord Pacific specializes in master-plan communities. In Vancouver’s False Creek area the company has been developing a 25-year plan that will culminate in more than 50 buildings and also contributions to infrastructure, such as parks and seawall development.
The company has taken this model of downtown building to Surrey, where location is key for lifestyle and convenience. Holland Park is just across the street, and Central City Shopping Centre, Simon Fraser University, the library and city hall are all within 10 minutes’ walk. The proximity of a Skytrain station provides further convenience and accessibility seen in typical downtown lifestyle settings
Kou says that Park Avenue West will offer resort-style amenities as well as shops and restaurants within walking distance. Up top will be a sky garden for residents. The grounds will feature an outdoor pool with cabana tents and a clubhouse with entertainment space, a hot tub, a sauna, and a steam room. There will also be a tennis court, a yoga pavilion, a putting green, a large fitness room and a large entertainment space with a billiards table.
Once it’s time to go indoors, residents of Park Avenue West will have such amenities as a concierge. The finishes will be high-end, with marble and onyx in the lobby. Kitchens will feature marble tile backsplashes, engineered quartz countertops, and European-brand integrated appliances.
The Park Avenue West tower is starting to rise and will be completed by 2017; its sister project, Park Avenue East, will be completed a year earlier. The development is currently in the pre-sale stage, and will offer 880 units to residents who are looking for city-centre living with all the amenities. One-bedroom homes start at just $190,000.
