Construction Starts on Surrey’s First Purpose-Built Student Housing Tower

Construction has officially commenced on City Centre 5, a 23-storey tower that marks the first purpose-built student housing development in Surrey, British Columbia. Developed through a partnership between Lark Group, ICT Group, and Western Community College, the 182,000-square-foot project will provide 810 beds to support the region's growing academic population. This development is a critical component of the 11-phase Health and Technology District master plan, reflecting a strategic shift from office space to high-density residential use to address local housing demand.

Lark Group and ICT Group have broken ground on City Centre 5, located at 9682 137 Street within the Health and Technology District (HTD) of Surrey City Centre. The 23-storey tower represents a significant expansion in scope, now slated to deliver 810 student beds—a substantial increase from the 500 beds initially planned when the project pivoted from office space to residential use in early 2024. Designed by WA Architects, the 182,000-square-foot building is scheduled for completion in Fall 2028 and will feature a variety of living arrangements, including studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, complemented by amenities such as a fitness center, gaming room, theatre, and dedicated study areas.

The project is a collaborative effort involving Western Community College (WCC), which will use the tower to bolster its campus presence in the HTD, where it already operates out of City Centre 3 and the newly-built City Centre 4. UniLodge Canada has been tapped to manage the residence, marking the company’s first operational contract in Canada and serving as its flagship for Western Canadian operations. The site is strategically positioned an eight-minute walk from King George Station, which will benefit from the upcoming Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension scheduled for 2029, enhancing regional connectivity for the building's future residents.

For the construction and building sector, City Centre 5 illustrates the ongoing transformation of Surrey City Centre into a major institutional and residential hub. The project is part of a broader 11-phase master-planned district by Lark and ICT that will eventually include nine City Centre buildings focused on healthcare, education, and technology. This development coincides with significant investments from other major institutions, including the University of British Columbia’s acquisition of nearby properties for a satellite campus and Simon Fraser University’s planned medical school, signaling a robust pipeline of institutional construction in the area through the end of the decade.