The owner of a rundown property in Newton has complied with city requests to clean it up, but at least one city councillor wants the Surrey Public Market turned into something useful.
It’s been almost 13 years since the market shut its doors. Since that time, the property has been inhabited by rodents, the homeless and graffiti artists.
City officials have called the 64 Avenue and King George Boulevard property an eyesore and say they want something done with it.
Property owner Walter Chan, who also owns Smitty’s Restaurants, has had the property up for sale for quite a number of years.
But the former market is built on top of a stream, a tributary of Hyland Creek, which runs into the Serpentine River. Provincial regulations have changed since the market was built, and significant setbacks from the creek would now be required on the property in order for new development to take place.
One builder told The Leader that with new setbacks factored in, there are about two acres of developable land on the site, making it a questionable investment. What’s more, rats have gnawed through wiring inside the building, which some professionals say requires about $4 million in repairs.
So the former market sits.
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and Coun. Linda Hepner told The Leader last year they were going to enforce the city’s unkempt property bylaw to get the site cleaned up.
Surrey’s bylaw department confirmed the owner responded quickly and effectively to its request for the property to be tidied up.
The graffiti has been painted over and a security guard now watches over the property 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Hepner says the moribund market still detracts from the Newton area, and she wants something done with it.
“I think it’s a long time in being unoccupied, and I think it would be nice if it added to the energy of Newton rather than drawing from the energy,” Hepner said. “I don’t think it’s contributing to the vitality we would like to see in the Newton core.”
Hepner said it would make a great site for an art school, or some other kind of creative industry. Now that the city has come up with a plan for the Newton Town Centre, she hopes that will make the site more viable and potential buyers will start bidding.
kdiakiw@surreyleader.com