Flamingo Hotel demolished as Whalley gets ready for highrise development

Hundreds of people gathered in Surrey Saturday to watch crews begin the demolition of a colourful hotel that will make way for a trio of newhighrises.

On Saturday, Mayor Doug McCallumtookthe initial blow with a wrecking machine to begin bringing down the buildings on the block of108 Avenue and King George Boulevard,which was most well-known for the Flamingo Hotel. Pyrotechnics and music accompanied the event.

Flamingo Hotel demolished with a bang in Surrey

5 years ago

Duration 0:31

The site will soon be home to three new sparkling high rises that are part of development planned for the area.

The demolitionis part of theFlamingo Block Project, which the city approvedin 2017.

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It's the idea of developer Charan Sethi, who will replace the buildings at the corner whichpreviously houseda sex shop, strip club and bar with condo towers, shops and restaurants.

"I saw land which wasn't being used," he said at the event on Saturday. "It gives me something to create out of nothing."

McCallum says the project represents how Surrey is trying to modernize.

The project has been described as becoming the "Yaletown of Surrey," and McCallumsays although the corner and its businesses were well-known in the city, it's time for a change.

"I think it was a symbol of the past and how our city centre and Whalley is changing for the future," he said. "We aremoving forward."

There has been support for the development from the business community and many residents, but some are stillnotsure about the coming changes.

Surrey residentsCarol Bulley and Randy Prudent were there to watch the Flamingo block get torn downandsaidthe demolition representsSurrey losing its tight-knit community charm.

"We all used to know each other," said Bulley. "You walk down the street, you know who everyone is, now we don't even know our next-door neighbours."

Prudent, who was born in Surrey, saidhe's seen many changes over the years.

"It's a big city now, not like it used to be," he said.

For others, the development is creating uncertainty around affordability.

Critics say thenew highrises will come at the expense of a homeless shelter that also sits on the property.

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Dave Diewart, with theSurrey Alliance Against Displacement, says gentrification is driving up the cost of livingin a neighbourhood that's home to many working class and low-income residents.

"As the property values keep going up, their rents are going togo up, so this has a snowball effect of further displacement of people who are vulnerably housed."

The city says the Flamingo Block Project is just the beginning;there are plans for 16 new highrises in the neighbourhood.