Ground was broken Wednesday on a new tower advertised as Surrey’s first purpose-built student housing development. Western Community College’s on-campus student housing residence will be built in City Centre 5 at Surrey’s Health and Technology District, north of Surrey Memorial Hospital. Construction of the 23-storey tower involves partners ICT Group and Lark Group, with UniLodge Canada to manage 810 beds of post-secondary student housing in 182,000 square feet. Completion is targeted in fall 2028. City Centre 5 promises “state-of-the-art student accommodation” with a range of
studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. Features include semi-private bathrooms, communal kitchen and dining areas, fitness centre, gaming room, theatre, study rooms, laundry facilities and indoor/outdoor lounges. “It’s close to transit, retail shops, dining options, healthcare services and integrated daycare facilities to support both the learning and professional community,” project builders rave in a news release. In Newton, provincially-funded student housing is planned at the KPU Surrey campus, with 350 student beds and a dining hall in an eight-storey building budgeted at $144 million. Construction could
start in early 2027, completion by 2030, project planners announced in September 2025. At City Centre 5, the May 20 groundbreaking ceremony involved Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, Lark Group CEO Kirk Fisher, Western Community College executive Rimpy Dhaliwal, UniLodge Canada’s Mike Porritt and others. Western Community College has campuses in City Centre 4 and City Centre 3 buildings, while UBC operates programs in City Centre 1 and has mixed-use plans for an adjacent property. Several blocks away, SFU’s expansion include a medical school on the
former North Surrey rec centre site, near Surrey City Hall. The growing Health and Technology District, planned as an eleven-phase development with nine City Centre buildings, aims to bring together healthcare, education, business and technology organizations. In City Centre 4, a ribbon-cutting ceremony in April celebrated the opening of Surrey’s newest hotel, Homewood Suites by Hilton Surrey, marketed as an upscale extended-stay hotel with 189 studio and one-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens.
Surrey, student housing, Western Community College, UniLodge Canada, ICT Group, Lark Group, Health and Technology District, City Centre 5, 810 beds, fall 2028, KPU Surrey, 350 student beds, $144 million
810 beds… that sounds like a dorm factory lol. Hope it’s not just tiny rooms forever.
Wait so is this for Surrey students or like… all students from anywhere? The article says close to transit and daycare which is kinda weird to me, but good I guess?
If it’s 23 storeys and takes till fall 2028, are they even gonna finish? I heard another plan got delayed before. Also 182,000 square feet for 810 beds seems low? math doesn’t check out to me.
Seems like every time we hear “student housing” it turns into condos later. Like why is the mayor there if it’s just dorms? I’m not against students, I just don’t trust these timelines.