City Centre 5 will deliver 810 beds to students in Surrey’s Health and Technology District — and the story is making national headlines.
June 10, 2026 • Western Community College
On a sunny morning in May, beneath a large tent surrounded by food vendors and hundreds of guests, Surrey made history. Western Community College, in partnership with Lark Group, ICT Group, and the Health & Technology District, officially broke ground on City Centre 5 — a 23-storey, 810-bed tower that will become Surrey’s first ever purpose-built student housing development. UniLodge Canada will operate the residence, and the City of Surrey has been a committed partner throughout. Completion is targeted for Fall 2028.
It was the kind of milestone that doesn’t come along often — and the scale of attention it drew, from civic leaders to national media, reflected exactly that.
Learn more about WCC’s student housing initiative.
Why Student Housing in Surrey Is Long Overdue
To understand why this groundbreaking matters, it helps to understand the problem it’s solving.
Metro Vancouver has one of the most acute student housing shortages in Canada. Post-secondary enrolment across the region has grown steadily for years, but purpose-built, on-campus housing has not kept pace — particularly in Surrey. Students attending institutions in the city have historically faced a difficult choice: commute long distances from wherever they can afford to live, or compete for scarce and often expensive private rentals in a market that ranks among the least affordable in North America.
For many students — especially international students, students from outside the Lower Mainland, and those managing full course loads alongside part-time work — that commute has a real cost. Research consistently shows that students who live close to campus perform better academically, engage more deeply with campus life, and are more likely to complete their programs. Access to stable, affordable housing near school isn’t a luxury. It’s an equity issue.
Surrey’s post-secondary landscape has expanded dramatically in recent years. Western Community College, UBC, and SFU all have a growing presence in the city. And yet, until now, not a single purpose-built student residence existed within Surrey’s City Centre. City Centre 5 changes that — and it does so at a scale that will be felt immediately.
The Project: 810 Beds, 23 Storeys, Fall 2028
City Centre 5 is a 23-storey, 182,000-square-foot student housing residence featuring 810 beds, designed from the ground up to support the way students actually live. Units range from studios to one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites, all tailored to suit student lifestyles and budgets.
Amenities go well beyond the basics:
- Semi-private bathrooms
- Communal kitchen and dining areas
- Fitness centre, gaming room, and theatre
- Dedicated study rooms
- Laundry facilities
- Indoor and outdoor lounges
But perhaps just as important as what’s inside is where it sits. City Centre 5 is located directly adjacent to Surrey Memorial Hospital, steps from King George SkyTrain Station, and surrounded by transit, retail, dining, healthcare services, and integrated daycare — meaning it works not just for students, but for the broader learning and professional community the Health and Technology District is designed to attract.
The Partners Behind the Project
Lark Group and ICT Group: Building the District
City Centre 5 doesn’t exist in isolation. It is phase five of an eleven-phase, nine-building master plan that Lark Group and ICT Group have been building out across Surrey’s Health and Technology District — a vision to create an integrated innovation ecosystem anchored by healthcare, education, business, and technology.
Lark Group is a family-owned development, construction, and facility management company that has been building in British Columbia since 1972. Based in Surrey, they have earned a trusted reputation across institutional, residential, and healthcare developments across North America. The Health and Technology District is their flagship legacy project — a deliberate, decade-long investment in the community they call home.
ICT Group — Imagining Communities Together Inc — is a partner in that vision and a co-developer of the District. As part of the Garibaldi Group, ICT brings a disciplined, risk-managed approach to real estate development, with nearly $2.5 billion in projects across North America. Their focus is on creating positive, lasting impact in the communities where they invest — and the Health and Technology District is a prime example of that philosophy in action.
Together, Lark Group and ICT Group have not just built buildings. They have built a district where WCC, UBC, and soon SFU are establishing permanent roots — and where students, researchers, healthcare professionals, and entrepreneurs are increasingly choosing to work and study.
“We are incredibly proud to deliver Surrey’s first student housing development project designed to meet the growing demand for affordable, high-quality accommodation for post-secondary students right here in Surrey,This collaboration brings together Lark Group and ICT Group’s experience in construction and development, Western Community College’s deep commitment to student success, and UniLodge Canada’s globally recognized expertise in student housing management. Together, we are creating an environment where students can live, learn, and thrive in a vibrant innovation-driven community..” – Kirk Fisher, CEO of Lark Group.
Western Community College: A Commitment to the Full Student Experience
For Western Community College, City Centre 5 represents the next chapter in a long-term commitment to building a complete student experience — not just in the classroom, but in every part of campus life.
WCC has been expanding its footprint within the Health and Technology District through its City Centre 3 and flagship City Centre 4 campuses, positioning students at the centre of Surrey’s fastest-growing education, healthcare, and technology corridor. The addition of purpose-built student housing takes that commitment further, creating a live–learn environment where students can be fully immersed in both their studies and their community.
“This partnership reflects our long-term commitment to creating environments where students can truly thrive, Purpose-built student housing integrated into Surrey’s Health and Technology District strengthens the live–learn ecosystem we are building, one that supports academic success, student wellbeing, and meaningful engagement with the community and industry.” – Gurpal Dhaliwal, President of Western Community College.
UniLodge Canada: World-Class Operations, Canadian First
UniLodge Canada will oversee the day-to-day operations of City Centre 5 — and the significance of that appointment goes beyond property management.
UniLodge is one of the world’s most experienced purpose-built student housing operators, with more than 130 properties across Australia and New Zealand. They bring decades of international expertise in on-site management, resident support services, community programming, safety, and student wellbeing. Critically, City Centre 5 will mark UniLodge Canada’s first operational contract in Canada — and is set to serve as the flagship for their Western Canadian operations.
That means WCC students will be among the first in the country to experience a globally proven standard of student living, delivered by an operator that has spent decades refining what it means to help students not just find a place to sleep, but genuinely belong somewhere.
“As a Canadian-owned and operated company, we are proud of our legacy as one of the world’s leading student housing operators, with projects across Australia and New Zealand,” said “This partnership with ICT Group, Lark Group and Western Community College marks our first operational contract in Canada and will serve as the flagship for our Western Canadian operations. We look forward to supporting student success by creating a safe, engaging, and supportive living experience where students can thrive academically, socially, and personally. – Mike Porritt, Chief Development Officer at UniLodge Canada.
The City of Surrey: Investing in Its Academic Future
The City of Surrey has been a consistent partner in the growth of the Health and Technology District — and the groundbreaking for City Centre 5 was a moment for the city to reflect on how far that vision has come.
Surrey is rapidly becoming one of British Columbia’s most significant education and health innovation corridors. The area surrounding Surrey Memorial Hospital has attracted institutional investment from some of Canada’s leading universities. UBC operates its Nurse Practitioner, Master of Physical Therapy, and Master of Occupational Therapy programs within the District’s City Centre 1 building, and in 2021 announced a $70-million acquisition of adjacent land for future academic development. Simon Fraser University is expanding its Surrey campus near Surrey Central SkyTrain Station with plans for a dedicated medical school.
As that ecosystem grows, so does the need for student housing — and City Centre 5 arrives at exactly the right moment.
“As Surrey continues to attract students, educators, researchers, and healthcare professionals from across the region, the need for student housing has become increasingly important, As Surrey’s first purpose-built student housing development, this landmark project will help strengthen the city’s growing academic ecosystem and support the continued evolution of the Health & Technology District as a centre for learning, innovation, and opportunity.” – Mayor Brenda Locke, City of Surrey
The Day It Happened
The groundbreaking on May 20, 2026 was more than a ceremonial shovel in the dirt. It was a celebration — a festival-like event held under a large tent, surrounded by food vendors, with hundreds of guests including civic leaders, industry partners, students, and community members. By that point, crews had already begun excavating the site immediately north of City Centre 4. The hole in the ground was real. The momentum was undeniable.
Speakers at the ceremony included Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, Lark Group CEO Kirk Fisher, WCC President Gurpal Dhaliwal, UniLodge Canada’s Mike Porritt, and others who have worked for years to bring this project to life.
The Story Is Being Told Across Canada
The CC5 groundbreaking didn’t stay local for long. It sparked coverage from coast to coast, across real estate, education, and broadcast media — a reflection of just how significant this project is in a national context.
The project broke into the commercial real estate press in early June, with CoStar reporting on the tower’s significance for the Surrey market, RENX – Real Estate News Exchange covering the partnership behind the launch, Connect CRE Canada highlighting the milestone, and GSL Global recognizing Lark’s role in the project.
The story also reached the construction and property management sector through the REMI Network, and the education community through Education News Canada.
In the days following the ceremony, Surrey and the Fraser Valley’s most-read local papers brought the story home. The Surrey Now-Leader, Peace Arch News, North Delta Reporter, and Cloverdale Reporter all ran the story. South Asian community publications Darpan Magazine and Drishti Magazine covered it as well, as did Howard Chai’s widely-read Vancouver Real Estate Rundown on Substack.
Perhaps most notably, the groundbreaking was featured on Global BC’s News Hour at 6 — the province’s most-watched evening newscast — with a dedicated segment at the 20:42 mark.
Fourteen media hits. National real estate press. Local broadcast. Community publications. The breadth of coverage reflects the scope of what this project means — not just for WCC students, but for Surrey, for British Columbia, and for how Canada thinks about purpose-built student housing.
What This Means for Future Students
City Centre 5 is scheduled to open in Fall 2028. When it does, it will give WCC students something that has never existed in Surrey before: the option to live on campus, within walking distance of their classes, embedded in a community designed around learning and growth.
For students coming from outside Metro Vancouver, it removes one of the biggest barriers to choosing WCC. For local students, it offers an affordable, professionally managed alternative to the private rental market. For everyone, it means more time studying and less time commuting — and a student experience that extends well beyond the classroom.
Interested in living at City Centre 5? Visit wcc.ca/about/student-housing/ to learn more and stay updated as the project progresses.
Project Partners: Western Community College · Lark Group · ICT Group · UniLodge Canada · Health & Technology District · City of Surrey
