37-storey tower headed for North Delta
The South Fraser's tallest building west of Surrey's City Centre is being planned for North Delta.
A 37-storey tower (12 floors taller than Central City tower) is planned for the corner of 80 Avenue and Scott Road.
And it's being given the preliminary nod months before the North Delta Area Plan (NDAP) is complete. The NDAP is a blueprint for growth in the years to come and is just being redrawn.
Nonetheless, the plan for the tall tower went through a contentious public hearing on Dec. 11, where 18 people spoke in opposition, and eight speakers were in favour of the proposal.
It is now headed for final approval by Delta Council.
The mixed-use building will include 359 apartment, a four-storey commercial component with a maximum 2,304 sq. m. (24,800 sq. ft.) floor area.
Jason Lewko lives about a mile away and says the tower is a terrible idea.
He says it goes well above North Delta's allowable 14-storey limit and sets a frightening precedent.
"This is the first highrise," Lewko said Thursday. "Just wait.
As to why the tower plan advanced the area plan, Mayor Lois Jackson said it was a rare opportunity where the builder had the means and the will to get it done.
"Timing is everything," Jackson said. "Somebody comes along with a capital idea, and they are prepared to go ahead, and the market is right and conditions are right – all those things are more important than a piece of paper really."
The NDAP will be finished in March, she said.
Final reading on the tower plan is expected in the coming weeks.
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