BURST
Construction has started on a new 445-bed residence for students at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby.
The new eight-storey residence will have a mix of studio units, four-bedroom apartments and two- and four-bedroom townhouses — the latest phase in SFU’s ongoing student-housing expansion, which has already seen 856 beds added since 2020.
Construction will also begin later this year on a stand-alone child care facility, which will have spaces for 160 kids.
“A safe and secure place to live and conveniently located child care can be transformative for students and parents working or studying on campus,” said Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma in a statement. “These new facilities will provide shorter commute times, allow students to focus on their studies and help ease pressure on the local rental market.”
Costs for both projects are estimated at $196.6 million and will be shouldered by the provincial government and the university. The child care centre is also partly funded by the federal government.
Both projects are slated to be completed in the fall of 2027.
The new residence will bring the total number of student beds on SFU’s Burnaby campus to more than 3,000, while the child care facility adds to 410 existing child care spaces to the Burnaby Mountain campus and SFU’s Sapperton Avenue location.
The B.C. government said it has committed $2 billion since 2018 to expand on-campus student housing at B.C. post-secondary schools. About 6,100 new beds have been created, with another 4,600 underway.