Partnership proposes a mixed-use tower for Surrey City Centre, which would include 397 student dormitories totalling 944 beds
A major development could soon add housing for nearly 1,000 students to Surrey City Centre.
This week, Surrey council is considering a proposal from developer Lark Group which want to build a 24-storey mixed-use tower that would include 397 student dormitories totalling 944 beds. The project is a partnership of Lark Group, ICT Group, and Western Community College.
Gurpal Dhaliwal, Western Community College’s president, said it is the college’s first attempt at building student residences, and aims to address one of the top concerns of students, especially those from abroad, who struggle to find suitable housing.
“A robust housing strategy not only provides security and stability for students but also empowers our city’s workforce, supports education, and positions Surrey as a leader in sustainable city-building and economic development,” Dhaliwal said byemailed. “Together, we are making Surrey an opportunity city.”
The report from Surrey city staff describes the development as “one of Surrey’s first purpose-built student housing developments, a crucial step in addressing the growing need for affordable and accessible accommodation for students in the region.”
The goal is to keep the dorms “as affordable as possible for students,” Dhaliwal said. The rents remain to be set, he said, but “very preliminary” calculations suggest single rooms could rent for between $1,150 and $1,250 a month with shared rooms going for around $800 or $900.
Western Community College is a private school established in 2012 and offers 65 diploma programs in areas including health care, hospitality, accounting, information technology, and business management. The college has around 4,500 students, Dhaliwal said, with campuses in Surrey, Abbotsford, and Prince George.
Since then, the privately funded project’s design has become “more finalized,” leading to the current 944-bed plan, said Anita Huberman, Western Community College’s board chair and chief public affairs global officer.
Huberman, who was the Surrey Board of Trade’s longtime CEO before Gurpal Dhaliwal taking the job with the college this year, said the development is part of the transformation of Surrey City Centre combining housing with education and jobs in a central, transit-oriented location.
“It’s amazing what’s happening here,” Huberman said.
Western Community College students would get first priority for units in the building, Huberman said, but there could also be demand from students at other institutions, such as the University of B.C. and Simon Fraser University, both of which are expanding their presence in the area.
The proposed dormitory units in the building would range from 205 square feet for a single to 312 square feet for triple occupancy, the Surrey city staff report says. Each unit includes a bathroom, unlike some other Canadian residences where bathrooms shared by many students are common.
The plan for the student dormitory tower includes communal dining areas, a lawn area, fire pit, and indoor and outdoor lounge spaces. The building would also include retail or restaurant space on the ground floor, office space on the third floor, and a daycare facility associated with Western Community College’s teaching program.
The development was on the agenda for Surrey city council to consider Monday evening for preliminary approval. If approved, it would come back for final consideration at a later meeting.