I'm a Cross-Check owner/rider, and while I don't use it for commuting, I could, easily. I did get it to be able to do some light touring in the future though. I love the bike. It's heavy, yes, but it's still pretty fun to ride, and is quite comfy. My LBS also sells All-City bikes, and I did have my eye on the Space Horse, but it was like $300+ more and I couldn't put that much into it. This year's CC has upgraded FD (tiagra from deore), but it lost the canti brakes. The bar-end shifters are different as well it looks like, and also, at least on the surly site, they are putting 700x41 tires on it.
You'll probably want to change the handlebars, but it's a matter of taste. I didn't care for the shape, the reach, and the flare of the salsa bell-lap bars. I put on a FSA compact bar that was also more narrow to fit me.