More than one million square feet of industrial space is on its way to South Campbell Heights in Surrey.
Beedie recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new industrial development at South Campbell Heights Business Park, at 19084 20th Ave., and once completed, the new, 60-plus acre industrial development will deliver more than one million square feet of “state-of-the-art” industrial space — and a tenant that is a “prominent player in the automotive industry.”
The first phase is set to be build-ready this year, with the first project set to complete in early 2028, a Beedie release noted.
The first tenant in the massive business park has already committed — a “prominent player in the automotive industry” — but Beedie representatives are keeping their lips zipped as to who exactly that might be … for now.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to expand the employment base and job creation in in Surrey,” said Beedie executive vice-president of land development Jason Tonin Wednesday (July 8), sharing the groundbreaking was held on a 20-acre parcel that will constitute phase one of the project.
Industrial jobs are generally categorized as higher paying and requiring higher skills because they’re often associated with manufacturing, with specialty businesses, and logistic distribution, Tonin noted.
“Usually what they provide is your core base of employment for (the) community … with the idea that ancillary jobs come out of the houses that get built around (industrial) — your grocers, your doctors, your lawyers your dentists.”
Tonin couldn’t speculate how many tenants might eventually join the new industrial space once its complete.
“It’s hard to dictate the exact amount of tenants. Often, we find these areas are built to suit a specific business that is (going) to come in that needs a specific area to function with their operations,” he shared. “We can, in some instances, have areas where a million square feet go to one tenant in some developments.”
With Surrey being a port community, having more industrial space is key, he continued, as many municipalities including Surrey struggle with a lack of industrial and commercial areas.
“Being a port community … adds to that factor. We do have a lot of transportation of goods between the West Coast and and the rest of the world to the port. These industrial warehouses are a large factor in the supply and distribution of merchandise and goods to the the bigger economies,” he explained.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke attended the groundbreaking, along with representative from the City of Surrey, Beedie’s development and construction teams, representatives from Cushman & Wakefield, and the project’s first tenant partner.
“Surrey continues to attract the investment needed to support our growing economy, and last week’s groundbreaking is an exciting example of that momentum. More than 20 years after Beedie’s first development in Surrey, South Campbell Heights Business Park represents a significant investment in employment, industrial growth, and economic opportunity,” Locke said.
“We look forward to seeing this project contribute to the continued success of our city and region.”