An extant asset
My first venture down the Expo Line into the South Fraser area of Greater Vancouver brought me to a satellite business district so large that it nearly rivals downtown Vancouver. And at the hub of the growing suburb is one of the area’s largest and oldest malls, Central City in Surrey.
1 & 2- The main entrance to the new Central City wing. 3 to 5- The eastern mall exterior, entrance and Wal-Mart façade. 6- The western mall entrance and the exterior of the Brick store. 7 & 8- The southern façade and junior anchors.
Originally opened as a single use retail destination, the Central City of today is much different from its much humbler beginnings. Today the facility is home to five anchors, 140 smaller inline shops and one college campus.
1 to 4- Just inside the main entrance to the newest wing and the Simon Frasier University mall campus. 5 to 8- The striking multi-level newer wing.
That college would be Simon Fraser University which, interestingly enough, is the only member of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) located outside of the United States. Its facilities lay in the multi-level most recently built wing of Central City.
Central City pamphlet ca 2001. View the full PDF version here.
I entered on the newer western concourse featuring first level retail topped by several additional tiers housing the University facility. This section seemed to display a modern nautical theme, as the lines and silhouettes were reminiscent of the bow of a wooden boat. I have to say, it was pretty impressive.
1- The Wal-Mart mall entrance. 2 to 8- Inside the main concourse of the original three level portion of Central City, originally Surrey Place Mall.
To the east of the newer and shinier hallways was the original shopping center. Single level throughout besides a small basement section in the main north south corridor, it offered a more basic design as well as retail offerings.
The southernmost wing including anchor Winners.
Central City opened in 1972 as Surrey Place Mall. At the time surrounded by open skies and plenty of surface parking, the basic dumbbell shaped complex was anchored by Hudson’s Bay to the north and Simpson-Sears to the south.
The southernmost wing including anchor The Brick.
Over the years, Surrey Place would become home to a Zellers location as well as Canada’s first Pizza Hut restaurant. While an expansion was completed in 1980, over the ensuing decades Surrey Place was feeling increasing pressure from its nearby competitor Guilford Town Center.
Central City Mallmanac ca. 2024. View the full PDF version here.
Vacancies rose during the nineties as both original anchors soon exited the aging complex. Though Hudson’s Bay would one day open as a Wal-Mart and what was originally Simpson-Sears would eventually be split up between Winners, Best Buy and T&T Supermarket, at the time the owners were faced with the reality that major changes needed to be made.
Inside the westernmost concourse of Central City. The new wing was built in between this and the original Surrey Place concourse.
Around the turn of the century, the Surrey Place Mall signs were removed for the City Center nameplates. Over the following years, the City Center tower and numerous retail and educational facilities were added.
Central City’s food court and adjoining wing.
While still being pinched by its flashier neighbor Guilford Town Center, Central City does boast its own SkyTrain rail station as well as several thousand captive college students, so the two should be able to coexist just fine in each other’s shadows.
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