New partnership to build 49-storey student housing tower in Surrey City Centre | Daily Hive

2025 revised concept of GEC Education Mega Centre at 10240 City Parkway, Surrey. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/GECC)

There is new momentum for a long-planned project to build a substantial student housing and education institution development in the core of Surrey City Centre.

Earlier this month, Global Education Communities Corp. (GECC), one of Metro Vancouver’s largest operators of student housing, announced it has entered into agreements with Pure Group of Companies to build the Global Education Communities (GEC) Education Mega Centre project.

GEC Education Mega Centre will be a 520-ft-tall (158 metres), 49-storey, mixed-use tower at 10240 City Parkway, immediately east of SkyTrain’s Surrey Central Station and the bus exchange.

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In early 2021, Surrey City Council approved the project’s rezoning application, and the site’s previous structure — home to Stardust roller link — was demolished.

The project has evolved considerably over the years, responding to changing market conditions and housing needs, with a previous concept calling for a 626-ft-tall (191 metres), 55-storey, mixed-use tower with more office and institutional uses, in addition to the primary use of student housing.

gec education mega centre surrey city centre 10240 city parkway

Site of GEC Education Mega Centre at 10240 City Parkway, Surrey. (Google Maps)

Site of GEC Education Mega Centre at 10240 City Parkway, Surrey. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/GECC)

Site of GEC Education Mega Centre at 10240 City Parkway, Surrey. (Google Maps)

Toby Chu, the Chairman, President, and CEO of GECC, told Daily Hive Urbanized a key change is the inclusion of three floors of market rental housing for educational staff working in the area, which is a new housing model for the company.

As well, they have increased the number of units designed as market rental housing, but still fully furnished with student-centric features, similar to GECC’s other student housing properties elsewhere in Metro Vancouver. This includes move-in ready furniture for all rooms in the units, bi-weekly housekeeping, on-site caretaker for check-in and maintenance assistance, enhanced security, quiet study areas, a fitness gym, a game room and computer lab, meeting rooms, and tele-medicine service.

There will be 43 floors of rental housing, accommodating 1,380 beds for students and educational staff, as well as three amenity/mechanical floors.

Two floors within the base of the building are pre-leased to GECC for its subsidiary schools, which include Sprott Shaw College, Sprott Shaw Langauge College, and Vancouver International College. On the ground level, there will be retail/restaurant uses. The project is designed by Chris Dikeakos Architects and Urban Solutions Architecture.

2025 revised concept of GEC Education Mega Centre at 10240 City Parkway, Surrey. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/GECC)

This student housing property is strategically located in very close proximity to not only major public transit services, but also Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Surrey campus, which will expand considerably over the coming years, including the creation of the new SFU medical school, as well as Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the future major Surrey City Centre campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Moreover, according to GEC, there are at least 14 public and private post-secondary institutions within Surrey.

Under the agreements, GECC and Pure Group will be “co-general partners” of the project, which has a construction budget of $330 million. Pure Group will be responsible for the development, financing, construction, and asset management, while GECC will be responsible for managing the building upon completion.

The development and building permits are expected to be approved later this year. Construction beginning with excavation is targeted to begin before the end of 2025, with a completion aimed for the first half of 2029.

Chu further noted that, due to the provincial government’s transit-oriented development legislation — which designates Surrey Central Station as a Transit-Oriented Area (TOA) — they were able to reduce the number of underground parking levels from eight to four. The legislation removes the need for new residential uses within the TOA to abide to minimum vehicle parking requirements.

The resulting shallower excavation has saved over four months of work related to digging, shoring, and waterproofing. As a result, rising from the pit, the project is expected to reach above-ground construction by March 2026.

2025 revised concept of GEC Education Mega Centre at 10240 City Parkway, Surrey. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/GECC)

“We are pleased to partner with Pure Group on this significant project, which aims to improve the lives of students coming to Metro Vancouver from across Canada and abroad,” said Chu, highlighting the general rental housing market crunch that many students face.

“The impact on students is likely even more pronounced. GEC’s Education Mega Center represents a meaningful step towards addressing this critical issue. Partnering with experienced financial and investment partners like Pure Group will enable us to accelerate the development of additional GEC student rental properties throughout Metro Vancouver and beyond.”

Over the last 20 years, Pure Group has run several real estate businesses, such as Pure Industrial, Sunstone Opportunity Funds, and Pure Multi-Family. Altogether, they have sold off $6.4 billion worth of properties, including more than 9,000 homes, over 20 million square feet of industrial buildings, and 50 retail locations.

“We are excited to bring our extensive development and financing expertise to the GEC Education Mega Centre project,” said Steven Evans, President and CEO.

“Our team will ensure this landmark development is delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. We are big believers in the importance of Central Surrey’s position in Metro Vancouver, and the timing aligns well with the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain expansion, new Cloverdale Hospital, and the expansions of SFU and UBC. We look forward to collaborating with GECC to deliver much needed student-centric housing and contribute to the remarkable development of Surrey’s City Centre.”

2025 revised concept of GEC Education Mega Centre at 10240 City Parkway, Surrey. (Chris Dikeakos Architects/GECC)

2025 revised concept of GEC Education Mega Centre at 10240 City Parkway, Surrey. (Urban Solutions Architecture/GECC)

Most of GECC’s existing student housing properties and future developments are located within Vancouver, particularly along the Cambie Street Corridor near SkyTrain stations.

Earlier this month, GECC also announced it had officially commenced construction on GEC Oakridge — an 18-storey tower with 124 rental homes, fully furnished for student needs, situated at 441-475 West 42nd Ave. This location, which sets aside 20 per cent of its residential rental space at below-market rents, as required by the City, is just west of the new Oakridge Park mall and SkyTrain’s Oakridge-41st Avenue Station. The project’s viability is supported by $124 million in low-cost financing from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Upon completion in 2027, GEC Oakridge will have space for 450 student beds, generating up to over $8 million in annual rental revenue at full occupancy.

The company is also pursuing GEC Langara at 6428 Cambie St., situated immediately north of SkyTrain’s Langara-49th Avenue Station. A recent rezoning application calls for a new 26-storey tower containing 182 secured purpose-built rental homes for students. If all goes as planned, this project could reach completion in 2029.

Another student housing project in Richmond is timed for a 2030 completion. GEC Cyber City is planned for 7780–7840 River Rd. — near SkyTrain’s Aberdeen Station — and it includes not only student housing, but also a micro-suite hotel, post-secondary institution spaces, and retail/restaurant uses.

Altogether, by the end of this decade, GECC will have 14 student housing buildings across nine locations in the region, including eight that currently exist and six under the development pipeline. When fully complete, GECC will have nearly 3,900 beds for students and educational staff, with the new projects representing almost 2,600 additional beds.

In 2024, GECC’s student housing occupants were predominantly international, with 17 per cent from Canada, 17 per cent from Japan, 14 per cent from Brazil, eight per cent each from India and Mexico, seven per cent from South Korea, six per cent from Hong Kong, and four per cent each from China and the United States.

However, shifting global and domestic trends led to a significant change in 2025, with 42 per cent of the space occupied by Canadian students. The share of international students declined sharply, with Japan accounting for just four per cent, South Korea with three per cent, and Brazil with two per cent.

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