A South Surrey roadhouse and pub that was the city’s first licensed establishment after prohibition ended in B.C. may soon be on Surrey’s Heritage Register.
Council voted unanimously May 27 in support of adding the Tudor Inn – located at 187 176 St., just a hair north of the Pacific Highway border crossing – to the list.
Opened in 1938, the Tudor (currently known at The Bennett Craft Kitchen) was the only licensed establishment in Surrey at the time. Prohibition in B.C. had ended some 17 years earlier, in 1921.
Minutes of a recent Surrey Heritage Advisory Commission meeting note the Inn is “valued as a rare surviving example of Streamline Moderne architecture and its continued use as a roadhouse and pub.”
According to the minutes, the site – bordered on three sides by Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure jurisdiction – as a whole is eyed for redevelopment, with proposed plans including the addition of a convention centre and hotel, as well as education, office and commercial space. The Tudor would be retained as a pub.
The development proposal includes relocating the Inn on the site – but keeping its original alignment with 2 Avenue – so it does not interfere with the required road allowance, the minutes continue.
Architect Zubin Billimoria told the commission the development proposal includes a small connection between the new structure and the Inn, towards the back of the Inn. A gap between the Inn and the new building will retain its appearance as a standalone structure, Billimoria said.
The proposed new hotel is to be pulled back from 176 Street to ensure a clear view of the Inn, the architect added.
The city's heritage planner told the commission that a previous evaluation determined the Inn has heritage value.
The Heritage Revitalization Agreement process is voluntary, and incentives can be a key factor in enticing owners to consider opting in. In the case of the Tudor Inn, an additional 0.2 floor area ratio (FAR) was provided, the minutes note.
Parks, Recreation and Culture officials said this month that the applicant must now hire a heritage consultant to prepare the conservation plan for the building. Following that, a planning report will be prepared for council consideration.
"This project will also need conditional approval from Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure because of its location," a statement provided to Peace Arch News notes.
Currently, there are more than 200 properties on Surrey's Heritage Register. Dozens of those are located in South Surrey.