Semiamhoo Peninsula Commercial Space too Scarce

High rent and limited vacancies have hampered Russ Hiebert’s search for a permanent constituency office.

It’s been two months since the lawyer-turned-politician won in South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale. Still, he hasn’t set up shop.

“It’s been a little bit difficult,” the Conservative MP said this week.

“Finding space is not easy. The supply is limited, and the ones currently available are very expensive.”

The MP says he’s searching for space in a central location, preferably along the 152 Street corridor. He’s currently eyeing an office in the South Point area. If an offer for space there is accepted, the office could be open when the House of Commons reconvenes in October.

Each MP gets spending accounts, in addition to their salaries, to rent constituency offices, hire staff and cover sundry expenses.

Hiebert says rent here is significantly higher as far as the average across the country.”

In rural B.C., he said, an MP can rent 1,500 sq. ft. for $1,500 a month. He says an office half the size in South Surrey costs more than $2,200.

Currently, office work is done out of a staff member’s house. For now, he said constituents can contact the makeshift office at 604-542-9495.

“A lot of the work our constituency office does us over the phone,” he reasoned.

“We’re happy to meet with constituents over the phone or in a coffee shop.”

Donna Lucas, an office assistant for former MP Val Meredith, said that’s not good enough.

“If he hasn’t got an office people are not being served,” she said.

“Where are people going?”

Lucas said it was common for Meredith to get 50 visitors and phone calls a day from constituents, adding it took the former MP a month after her first election to rent space at 24 Avenue and 152 Street.

MLA Gordon Hogg’s office in Windsor Square is 905 sq. ft. and rents for $1,583 a month.

Bruce Robinson, with South Surrey’s Hugh & McKinnon Realty, said there is plenty of office space on the Peninsula, though there’s not an abundance of small space.

Most offices are suited for companies with several employees.

“It’s more expensive to rent office space out here, in some cases, than in downtown Vancouver,” Robinson said.

“One thousand square feet and under is hard to accommodate.”

Robinson said commercial space in central South Surrey goes for at least $12 per sq. ft. where a second-floor office in Newton runs $6 or $7 a foot.
 

Source: Peach Arch News
Saturday, Sept 1, 2004

* White Rock / South Surrey Real Estate News Index *