A multidisciplinary consulting team led by space2place design has been awarded the design services for phase one of the Nicomekl Riverfront Park in Surrey.
Phase one includes the development of the Hadden Mill and Oxbow zones, which are on the south side of the Nicomekl River adjacent to King George Boulevard.
The Nicomekl Riverfront Park will be developed over multiple years as a multi-phased project. When complete, it will be a 3km long, 80-acre riverfront park incorporating ecology, heritage, public art, recreation, infrastructure and innovative adaptations to climate change and sea level rise.
The Nicomekl Riverfront Park is also one of 13 Surrey project components to be partially funded through the Government of Canada’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF), a program to help communities build the infrastructure they need to better withstand natural hazards such as floods, wildfires, earthquakes and droughts.
“Nicomekl Riverfront Park will provide Surrey residents with increased opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy nature while enhancing ecology and habitat connectivity and also addressing the impacts of sea level rise and climate change,” said Mayor Doug McCallum. “By investing in nature-based green infrastructure now, we are protecting our community, economy and environments from future flood risks. We thank the Government of Canada and the many partners who are supporting this important project.”
In 2019, the city secured $76.6 million in federal funding to supplement a series of projects to reduce Surrey’s coastal flood risk and adapt to sea level rise. $4 million has been allocated to the Nicomekl Riverfront Park project.
“As part of our collective actions against climate change, it is important that we invest to protect communities from extreme weather conditions, such as flooding and other natural hazards,” said the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.
“The Nicomekl Riverfront Park is a great solution to increasing Surrey’s resilience to flooding while also enhancing the area’s unique ecological features in response to the aspirations expressed through public consultations in 2018 and 2019 by local residents and First Nations.”
