The City of Surrey is looking to make a major capital contribution towards the cost of building its new 10,000-seat indoor arena in Surrey City Centre.
According to the municipal government’s newly released budget plan, the five-year, 2026-2030 capital plan includes almost $200 million over five years specifically for building the arena.
This only represents the City’s public funding for the project — it does not include any potential additional contributions from private partners and other entities.
It is also the first time the municipal government has publicly revealed how much it is willing to contribute to the project, which will anchor the newly designated entertainment district area in Surrey City Centre. The project is a key priority for Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke to further catalyze the potential growth of Surrey’s emerging downtown.
With 10,000 seats, it would be British Columbia’s third-highest-spectator-capacity indoor arena after Rogers Arena and Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.
Earlier this winter, the City launched the bidding process seeking a private developer, operator, and sports tenants for the mixed-use project with the arena, which is eyed to replace City-owned site of the BC Lions’ longtime training facility at 10605 City Parkway — the northeast corner of the intersection of University Drive and 105A Avenue, just south of SkyTrain’s Gateway Station and Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre and east of Whalley Athletic Park.
As part of the mixed-use project, there would also be a hotel, conference and meeting space, retail and restaurant space, and residential uses.
“Contract negotiations with private sector partners are expected to result in development agreements for the construction of various private sector opportunities adjacent to or integrated with the arena,” states this week’s budget proposal.
“It is expected that the revenue generated from development agreements, tenanting of the arena and the sale of naming and other commercial/marketing rights will assist in funding the construction, operation, and maintenance of the arena.”
The capital plan states the municipal government’s cash flow funding for the arena portion of the mixed-use project is $20 million in 2026, $45 million in each of 2027, 2028, and 2029, and $43 million in 2030.
Preliminary conceptual design of the new 10,000-seat arena, hotel, conference centre, and commercial space project at the site of BC Lions’ training facility in Surrey City Centre. (Perkins&Will/City of Surrey)
Preliminary conceptual design of the new 10,000-seat arena, hotel, conference centre, and commercial space project at the site of BC Lions’ training facility in Surrey City Centre. (Perkins&Will/City of Surrey)
