A 38-storey residential tower paired with community space is gaining traction in British Columbia—and it’s a model Ontario developers should watch closely as our region grapples with housing density and affordability.
According to Storeys, a rezoning application near Surrey’s King George Station proposes a high-rise with 373 units alongside a new mosque. The site, assessed at approximately $9.5 million CAD, illustrates how communities are maximizing underutilized land for both residential and cultural purposes.
What This Means for Ontario Homeowners
Here’s why this matters locally: Ontario’s inventory challenge mirrors what Surrey is addressing. With our Q1 2026 median sold price sitting at $1.15 million for Toronto detached homes and median days-on-market at just 22 days, we’re seeing aggressive competition and limited supply. Mixed-use developments like Surrey’s proposal could increase our housing stock while preserving community infrastructure.
The Surrey project shows how rezoning underperforming residential parcels for towers can yield hundreds of new homes in transit-accessible areas. Our King George analogue? Think Bloor-Yonge, Sheppard-Yonge, or emerging nodes along the Ontario Line.
For Ontario homeowners, this signals a shift: expect more applications combining residential towers with community/commercial uses near transit. This could:
- Increase supply, potentially moderating price growth in surrounding neighbourhoods
- Improve walkability and services in transit zones
- Attract younger buyers, changing neighbourhood demographics
While Ontario zoning approval processes differ from BC’s, the philosophy is universal—use density to solve housing shortages without abandoning community character. As our real estate market tightens, expect similar proposals to reshape Ontario transit corridors.
Summary by AI, reviewed by Alex Goodman, Sales Representative, RE/MAX Your Community Realty. Original source: STOREYS
 | Alex GoodmanSales Representative · RE/MAX Your Community Realty, Brokerage Alex Goodman is a Sales Representative with RE/MAX Your Community Realty, Brokerage, serving the Greater Toronto Area. He specializes in residential sales across Ontario — luxury, first-time buyer, and downsizing transactions — and maintains InstantCalculator.ca as a free public resource for Ontario homeowners researching their property value. |