The provincial government is making a “historic investment” in student housing at Douglas College in New Westminster.
Officials gathered at the college’s New West campus Tuesday morning to announce funding for 808 Royal, a new 20-storey building with 368 student beds, academic space and parking.
“We know post-secondary students need access to affordable housing that is close to the school that they go to. We don't want post-secondary students to be worried about a place to call home, when they are already busy with classes, with writing papers, with taking exams,” said Anne Kang, B.C’s minister of advanced education and skills training. “With that in mind, I am so excited to share that the B.C. government is providing the largest investment ever made in B.C. in our post-secondary institutions for student housing and an academic space, right here at Douglas College's New Westminster campus.”
Kang said the “historic investment” will have a positive impact on the lives of post-secondary students and their families, as well as local renters in New Westminster. She said the $292.5-million project includes $202.3 million in provincial funding and $90.2 million from Douglas.
Instead of commuting to college, Kang said students will be able to focus on their studies, have fun making new friends and getting involved in community life at Douglas College.
“Housing is so important to this critical stage of life for students, and student housing is creating independence for students,” she said. “Not only that, but this project will help renters in New Westminster as it takes pressure off the local rental market.”
The province stated construction of 808 Royal is anticipated to begin in summer 2023, with completion slated for summer of 2026.
“The 808 Royal project will be transformational for Douglas, for our students, for our community,” said Douglas College president Kathy Denton. “For the first time in our history, we'll have students living on campus, students from across the Lower Mainland, across the province and around the world.”
Denton said the project will provide a vastly expanded, modern academic space that everyone can enjoy, as well as more than 360 student living and learning spaces in an inclusive and welcoming environment.
“We could not be more excited about this new project,” she told a crowd gathered at Douglas College. “It will form a gateway to downtown New Westminster, creating a vibrant new college district for the city.”
Krystyn Llagas, a marketing student at Douglas College, said the expansion of Douglas College to provide on-campus housing, more classrooms and amenities is an amazing investment for the wellbeing and success of future students.
“Students often have long commutes to school, and are met with less time to study or to spend making connections with others,” she said. “There are a very limited amount of spaces that students have to meaningfully interact with one another on a consistent basis.”
Llagas said the new building will provide an opportunity for students to build those connections and friendships that they're expecting from their college experience. She said student housing will benefit students and help them achieve a better education-work-life balance.
“Trying to afford a place to live on top of grocery lists, textbooks and tuition fees is honestly impossible for students,” she said. “This expansion will alleviate many of the stressors that students face during their time in college.”
According to the province, the new building will have 368 student beds in one-, two-, and four-bed units, as well as academic space, including new classrooms, student collaboration space, labs and offices, and food services. With classes moving to the new academic building, space will become available for other purposes, including a potential expansion of the college's child-care facility.
New Westminster MLA Jennifer Whiteside said she has fond memories of her time at Douglas College, which she attended before moving on to Simon Fraser University.
"Students need a place to call home that is affordable and allows them time and space to study," said Whiteside, who is B.C.’s education minister. "We recognize how important access to housing is for young people and how integral it is to their post-secondary experience."
City involvement
In the spring of 2021, city council received a staff report about a preliminary application review of a proposal, which proposed academic floor space topped by 244 units of student housing. The site, located across the street from the college’s main New Westminster campus, was home to the city’s main fire hall prior to the opening of the Glenbrook Fire hall in the fall of 2002.
Coun. Patrick Johnstone, who attended Tuesday’s funding announcement, commented on the preliminary application last year.
“It’s an exciting potential for the city to have student housing happening and to finally activate that empty space across the street from Douglas College,” he said in 2021.
Emilie Adin, the city’s director of climate action, planning and development, said the city is excited about the project. Because it meets many of the city’s strategic planning goals and priorities and involves senior government funding, she said it has been, and will be, prioritized for development review and permitting.
Adin said no formal applications have been made since the preliminary application review was considered by council last spring, but staff have been in regular contact with the college and its agents since that review was processed.
“The city’s land use and planning committee (LUPC), and council, have indicated their support for further consideration of the proposal through a rezoning application,” she said in an email to the Record. “However, there has been no review activity with any city committees or with council since April 2021.”
Adin said it’s her understanding is that Douglas College and its agents are working to put their final rezoning application package together, and the city expects to receive that information soon. Should an application be received, she said it would be processed on a priority basis.
“As planning director, I’m concerned that the timelines are ambitious and that we will need to overlap development review processes to a greater extent than we typically support,” she said. “Given current staffing challenges that we are facing, much like many other municipalities, we will be challenged to support the target of a construction start occurring in summer 2023. However, we will do our utmost to meet these ambitious timelines, given the significant need for more student housing and educational opportunities in our city.”
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