Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleThe future of Surrey’s planned 10,000-seat Surrey City Centre Arena is uncertain as Mayor-elect Doug McCallum prepares to take office promising to keep public money out of the project, according to Daily Hive Vancouver.
McCallum said during the civic election campaign that the arena would have to be completely privately funded under his leadership. His Safe Surrey Coalition’s commitments include reaffirming the project’s estimated construction cost and withdrawing the municipal funding set aside by outgoing Mayor Brenda Locke.
What is planned for the site
In July 2026, Locke announced the arena would anchor a mixed-use development. It would include a luxury hotel, a conference centre, residential space, retail and restaurants, and a major public plaza. The development would occupy the 5.1-acre former Safeway site at 10355 King George Blvd., just east of Surrey City Hall and Surrey Central SkyTrain Station.
The City also announced an agreement in principle with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, who would become the arena’s anchor tenant. The arena portion is estimated to cost up to $360 million. Locke had committed up to $200 million in municipal funding for it, spread over the City’s 2026-2030 capital plan.
Land swap and audit pledge
To acquire the site, the City arranged a cashless land swap with developer Wesgroup. Wesgroup’s earlier high-density proposal for the property had stalled for years amid weak market conditions. The City gave up three properties elsewhere in Surrey, two industrial and one commercial, and each side of the exchange was valued at $116.6 million.
McCallum and other critics argued during the campaign that the City’s properties were worth more than the former Safeway site. McCallum also promised an independent forensic audit of land transactions made under Locke, including the Wesgroup deal. On Oct. 6, 2026, he said the review would be his first order of business. In a statement, he alleged there were 12 questionable land deals and that $150 million had been overpaid.
McCallum and the new council, in which his party holds a supermajority, are scheduled to be sworn in at Surrey City Hall on the evening of Monday, Nov. 2, 2026. Daily Hive says that could give the first sign of how quickly his promises turn into action.
Work already under way
The project has already moved past the announcement stage. Demolition, early construction and site preparation began in early September 2026, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held Sept. 10. At that event, Locke asserted the project had passed the point of no return, even if political leadership changed, citing key contracts already signed. Major construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with opening planned for 2030.
Why the Giants want to move
The Giants currently play at the 5,300-seat main arena of Langley Events Centre, owned by the Township of Langley. They have used it since 2016, after leaving the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. Their lease expires in 2030.
Giants majority owner and president Ron Toigo told Daily Hive Urbanized this past summer that the Surrey site offers better transit, is closer to Vancouver and the population base, and is large enough to pursue events such as the World Juniors and Memorial Cups. He said, “The transit access is essential to any success in this kind of business.”
The site sits across from Surrey Central Station and a major bus exchange. The station is due for improved regional connections when the Expo Line’s Surrey-Langley extension opens in 2029.
Toigo also expects attendance to rise considerably in a bigger building. He said it is being planned to attract major concert tours, offering an alternative to Rogers Arena in Downtown Vancouver.
Source: Daily Hive Vancouver (lead)
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving multilingual diaspora communities across Canada. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
