7 towers up to 44 storeys with 2,600 homes proposed at Langley SkyTrain station

Seven towers up to 44 storeys with 2,600 homes proposed at future Langley SkyTrain station

Preliminary concept of the south parcel at 19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township. (Ciccozzi Architecture)

These towers could be the first high-density, transit-oriented developments to bookend SkyTrain’s Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension near the future eastern end of the Expo Line.

A total of seven high-rise towers are proposed for two separate development parcels immediately northwest of the future Willowbrook Station, which will be a transit hub situated at the northeast corner of the intersection of Fraser Highway and Willowbrook Drive — replacing the recently closed White Spot restaurant building. These development parcels are also immediately west of Willowbrook Shopping Centre.

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Willowbrook Station, the second last station before arriving at the future terminus of Langley Centre Station, will also include a major bus exchange.

The Expo Line extension between the existing King George Station in Surrey City Centre and Langley Centre Station will carry a distance of 16 km along Fraser Highway, adding eight stations to the SkyTrain network, and an end-to-end travel time of about 22 minutes. Construction on this SkyTrain extension will begin later in 2024 for a scheduled opening in 2028.

surrey langley skytrain willowbrook station

Artistic rendering of Willowbrook Station on the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line. (Government of BC)

Surrey-Langley SkyTrain 196 Street Station 2

Conceptual artistic depiction of Willowbrook Station on the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain. (Government of BC)

The Township of Langley is currently in the process of reviewing two separate rezoning and community plan amendment applications for the south parcel of 19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive, which is closest to the transit hub, and the north parcel of 19677 Willowbrook Drive.

If approved, both parcels would generate a combined total of seven mixed-use, high-rise towers reaching up to 44 storeys, including a six-storey base podium.

Designed by Ciccozzi Architecture, both parcels combined would contain a total building floor area of 2.3 million sq ft, including 2,651 homes and 60,000 sq ft of ground-level retail/restaurant uses.

Ground and underground levels across both parcels would provide a combined total of 4,138 vehicle parking stalls and 3,185 bike parking spaces.

South parcel

Closest to the transit hub, the south parcel of 19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive would replace two strip mall properties built in 1983 and 1990, respectively.

These strip malls are currently home to businesses such as Pasta Polo Langley, Sushi Mori, Fraser Life Physio & Rehab, An Indian Affair, Luxe Chinese Seafood, Little Ceasars Pizza, LifeLabs, Berezan Liquor Store, and Langley Meat Shop.

With a footprint of 4.3 acres, the north parcel is the larger of the two development parcels.

19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive Langley Township South Parcel 5

Site of the south parcel at 19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township, in relation to its walking distance to SkyTrain’s future Willowbrook Station. (Google Maps)

Existing condition:

19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive Langley Township South Parcel 7

Site of the south parcel at 19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive Langley Township South Parcel

Preliminary concept of the south parcel at 19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township. (Ciccozzi Architecture)

Four towers are proposed for the south parcel. The two towers closest to the transit hub and Fraser Highway would reach 44 storeys, while the remaining two towers would reach 40 storeys.

There would be 1,586 homes within the south parcel, including 840 one-bedroom units, 572 two-bedroom units, and 174 three-bedroom units.

Preliminary concept of the south parcel at 19653-19665 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township. (Ciccozzi Architecture)

Within the ground level of the south parcel’s base podium, fronting Willowbrook Drive, the development would provide 45,500 sq ft of retail/restaurant uses. This represents a net decrease from the 52,000 sq ft of leasable commercial spaces found within the existing strip malls.

The total building floor area within the south parcel would reach 1.41 million sq ft, representing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 7.54 times larger than the size of the south parcel’s lot.

North parcel

The smaller north parcel of 19677 Willowbrook Drive is a 2.8-acre surface parking lot at the northeast corner of the intersection of 196 Street and Willowbrook Drive.

Site of the north parcel at 19677 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township, in relation to the walking distance from SkyTrain’s future Willowbrook Station. (Google Maps)

Existing condition:

Site of the north parcel at 19677 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Preliminary concept of the north parcel at 19677 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township. (Ciccozzi Architecture)

There would be three towers reaching 40 storeys, 34 storeys, and 28 storeys, containing a total of 1,065 homes.

The north parcel’s unit size mix is 637 one-bedroom units, 394 two-bedroom units, and 34 three-bedroom units. The retail/restaurant space component within the ground level is about 15,200 sq ft.

The total building floor area would reach 896,000 sq ft, establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 7.44 times larger than the size of the parking lot.

Preliminary concept of the north parcel at 19677 Willowbrook Drive, Langley Township. (Ciccozzi Architecture)

If these towers existed today, they would be amongst Langley Township’s first high-rise towers; the 34-storey and 26-storey residential towers currently under construction at Latimer Heights, called “The Towers,” will be Langley Township’s very first high-rise towers when both buildings reach completion in 2025.

Both development parcels form the westernmost end of the area of Langley Township’s Willowbrook Community Plan, which will undergo a planning review for a major update.

An update to the Willowbrook Community Plan was originally expected in Spring 2024, which will prescribe high-density, transit-oriented development to take into account the arrival of the SkyTrain extension and the provincial government’s various new legislations relating to housing, as well as new community amenities and supporting infrastructure. This area plan was last updated in 1991.

The area plan update is also expected to guide the future redevelopment possibilities of the 650,000 sq ft Willowbrook Shopping Centre, which sits on 46 acres of land — mostly used as surface vehicle parking. The mall’s anchor retailers include T&T Supermarket, H&M, Sport Chek, Toys ‘R Us, Winners, and Hudson’s Bay. Quadreal Property Group is the mall’s owner.

Just to the east, the City of Langley is also planning for significant densification surrounding Langley Centre Station. And similarly, just to the west, the City of Surrey is creating a new area plan to densify its Clayton neighbourhood, which will be anchored by the future Clayton and Hillcrest-184 Street stations.

surrey langley skytrain map official station names

Map of the official station names of the eight new stations on the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line. (Government of BC)

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