But perhaps its most remarkable feature is the way the Langley Event Centre has been designed for such a wide variety of uses.
The centrepiece is a 3,000-seat, multi-use area for hockey, lacrosse, figure skating, basketball, volleyball and concerts. The arena can be expanded to accommodate up to 5,400 and is surrounded by 28 luxury suites.
Adjoining the arena is a 1,800-sq.-m gymnasium containing three full-size basketball courts and seating for up to 2,000. The gymnasium will serve as home court for nearby Trinity Western University.
The centre will also contain a new Willoughby Recreation Centre, exhibition and banquet facilities for up to 500 people along with 1,700 sq. m of leased commercial retail and office space, which is expected to include a major restaurant. In all, more than 4,600 sq. m of space is available for trade shows and exhibitions.
And while the primary funding partners are the Township of Langley, the B.C. government and a private consortium called the Langley Development Group, more than 15 other groups, including Langley School District, TWU and the Langley Gymnastics Foundation, helped fund the facility, whose construction is on time and on budget.
Meanwhile, while Surrey's planned redevelopment of Cloverdale Fairgrounds for a major convention/exhibition centre has been temporarily put on hold due to rising construction costs, planning for a new recreation centre on that property is progressing.
Finally, these projects show that more people south of the Fraser are discovering a new twist on a well-known saying: Build It And They Will Stay Home.