Surrey’s 10,000-seat arena plans ‘announced soon,’ with tenant news
Published 3:30 pm Monday, June 22, 2026
“A major announcement” about a new 10,000-seat arena in Surrey will be made in coming weeks.
City manager Rob Costanzo wouldn’t reveal details Monday (June 22) at a Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade luncheon, but shed light on the kind of project envisioned.
An arena is proposed on city-owned land adjacent to Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre at Tom Binnie Park. A drawing on Surrey’s website shows an arena complex on land occupied by the BC Lions training facility. Construction could begin in 2027.
Monday at Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel, Costanzo was among four panelists at a business forum focused on “Shaping the Next Decade of Surrey.”
Asked about a professional hockey team or other tenants for Surrey’s arena, Costanzo said an announcement will be made soon.
“Yes, that 10,000-seat arena will have a team associated with it,” Costanzo responded. “We wouldn’t be moving forward without a team, without an anchor team, associated with this facility,” he added.
Last January, Surrey’s plans to build an arena in City Centre moved forward with a call for “expressions of interest” to develop the facility and for sports team(s) to play there.
Monday, an audience member asked about a lack of convention space and hotels in Surrey.
“To give you a very high-level understanding of what this (arena) is going to be providing, it’s a 10,000-seat arena and cultural event (space). It’s not going to be a traditional hockey arena. It’s going to be more of a conventional type of building with restaurants and nightclubs and shops around the perimeter of the site.
“It’ll have a plaza, outdoor plaza, five-star hotel, convention space and residential towers. That will be announced in the coming weeks. I think I’ve given too much away but I’m pretty confident that this room can hold the secret,” Constanzo added.
The four-person panel included Costanzo, Bill Aujla (Surrey City Development Corporation), Dr. Ryan D’Arcy (NeuroCatgch, Health and Technology District) and Nicole Robson (Surrey Hospitals Foundation), who answered questions pitched by Joslyn Young, board of trade CEO, and audience members.
On surrey.ca, the proposed arena is hyped as an anchor for Surrey’s new world-class entertainment district, which Aujla says Surrey needs.
“In fact it probably needs more than one, given its size and population growth,” Aujla told the crowd. “So I firmly believe we need to get people coming to Surrey, spending their money in Surrey, and that will generate other economic development of opportunities.”
Costanzo said “a number of of significant, catalytic type of projects” are happening in Surrey right now including SkyTrain, SFU School of Medicine south of City Hall, a new Newton Community Centre, a master plan to develop Newton Town Centre as “a new Yaletown,” Nicomekl Riverfront Park and planning for King George Bus Rapid Transit.
“If I had to pick one that’s a very important project, it’s going to be a much needed rapid transit project connecting North Surrey with White Rock,” Costanzo said after reading a list of major Surrey projects on the drawing board including Westminster Waterfront District.
“Very cool, Bridgeview is going to be transformed,” he said of the latter. “I think the only way I can really explain it is the Brentwood Mall area, that new development you’re seeing around that area (of Burnaby). That’s going to happen in Bridgeview around the Scott Road Station with connectivity down to the waterfront.”
He also noted an Interactive Art Museum in North Surrey and “public safety campus” in east Guildford.
“Council just approved a 15-acre site in Anniedale Tynehead,” Costanzo said of the campus. “We have, as you all know, a new police department. They’re getting close to concluding their transition. There are a number of facilities that they desperately need like a shooting facility, a gun range, training facility and emergency response centre.”
Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade’s AGM was also held Monday. Roger Steers, of RJC Engineers, is the new board chair, replacing Rory Morgan, now the immediate past chair. New directors are Gurdip Sahota, Li Gong and Nathan Van Kuyk. Visit swrbot.com for details.
^ Roger Steers, new board chair of @SWRBOT, replacing Rory Morgan, now Immediate Past Chair.
In 2020 Steers was named Surrey Business Person of the Year: https://t.co/lnJqnZ0Q9n pic.twitter.com/q7YPdU7noj
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) June 22, 2026