Construction is moving forward on the Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension along Fraser Highway. And with it comes the rumours. Ask around Fleetwood these days and someone will tell you a high-rise is about to replace their favourite shopping plaza.
Here’s where that comes from. The City of Surrey’s Fleetwood Plan is planning significant long-term growth around the Fraser Highway corridor and future SkyTrain stations. People see higher-density and mixed-use areas on planning maps and assume the bulldozers are coming next week.
They’re not.
A planning designation is not the same as a development approval, and it doesn’t approve demolition on its own. I looked at City planning information, development applications and the provincial rules around Transit-Oriented Areas. There’s a real gap between what’s planned for the next few decades and what’s actually happening on the ground right now.
Fleetwood is being planned for considerably more growth around the future stations. But that does not mean every existing shopping plaza near SkyTrain is about to disappear.
If you want the broader planning picture first, my honest look at the Fleetwood Plan and near-term change separates SkyTrain construction, provincial rules, City planning and actual development activity.
A quick note on the plan itself: the Stage 1 Fleetwood Plan was originally endorsed by Surrey City Council in 2022 and updated in 2023. Additional changes have since been made to align the plan with provincial Transit-Oriented Area legislation, and the City says Council will consider the updated plan in 2026. Either way, this is a plan built to guide growth over more than 30 years, not overnight.
The Reality Behind Active High-Rise Applications
A lot of the rumours trace back to renderings of large proposals that have been published online. There are significant projects moving through Surrey’s development process around Fleetwood Station, but the two major applications discussed below are not redevelopment proposals for established grocery-anchored shopping plazas.
The Bucci Site at 16065 and 16099 Fraser Highway
One of the largest proposals on Fraser Highway sits just east of 160 Street. Bucci Investment Corporation is the agent for the application.
The proposal includes two high-rise mixed-use buildings at 37 and 42 storeys, plus a 15-storey residential building as part of a multi-phase development. Bucci’s published project information describes approximately 1,130 homes and commercial and office space.
You can review the application through the City of Surrey’s development and building inquiry resources using application number 7919-0366-00.
That’s a major change in density for the corridor. But here’s the thing people miss: this site was not Fleetwood Park Village or another established grocery-anchored neighbourhood plaza. The City’s application documents identify the land as previously zoned One-Acre Residential and Highway Commercial Industrial.
The project has advanced through Surrey’s municipal process, but a proposal moving through approvals should still be distinguished from a completed building.
16042 84 Avenue and 8352, 8366, 8380 and 8390 160 Street
South of the future Fleetwood Station, another substantial application covers 16042 84 Avenue and four properties on 160 Street.
The City’s records identify Platinum Enterprises Ltd. as the agent. The application proposes one 30-storey mixed-use building, one five-storey building and one six-storey building, with 529 homes, 1,846 square metres of at-grade commercial space and a childcare centre.
The proposal received third reading for its associated Official Community Plan and rezoning bylaws in September 2024. City planning records also identified outstanding matters to be resolved before final adoption, so I would describe this as an advanced development application rather than a completed or guaranteed project.
The City’s application number is 7918-0134-00.
Again, this was not an established shopping centre. City records describe the properties as One-Acre Residential zoned land being assembled for redevelopment.
For homeowners hearing that every property near Fleetwood Station has suddenly become development land, that’s an important distinction. My guide to Fleetwood land assembly rumours goes deeper into what I would want to see before treating redevelopment talk as something concrete.
Fleetwood Park Village and Key Commercial Anchors
The plaza most people worry about is Fleetwood Park Village at 15950 Fraser Highway. This is where you’ll find Fresh St. Market and a collection of restaurants, services and local shops that families use regularly.
I’ll say it plainly: in the City development records I reviewed in August 2026, I did not find an active application proposing the demolition and tower redevelopment of Fleetwood Park Village.
City records confirm that 15950 Fraser Highway is part of Fleetwood Park Village Shopping Centre. Older planning records identify the property as an existing shopping centre on commercially designated land.
That does not mean the site could never change.
Fleetwood’s broader planning direction supports substantially more growth around Fraser Highway and the future station areas, and a large commercial property can have characteristics that make redevelopment worth examining over the long term. But I would not tell a buyer, homeowner or business owner that Fleetwood Park Village is going to become towers unless there is a documented application, approval or other property-specific evidence supporting that statement.
Ownership structure, existing leases, current zoning and permitted uses, parcel configuration, access, servicing, development economics, financing and market conditions can all affect whether a commercial site ever redevelops.
That’s very different from looking at a planning map and assuming a particular plaza has a demolition date.
Understanding the Three Stages of Development
A lot of the confusion comes from mixing up long-term City goals with short-term construction plans. It helps to separate three different layers.
Land-Use Planning
This is the long game.
The Fleetwood Plan is intended to guide growth over more than 30 years. Planning designations tell you the type and intensity of development the City may support over time.
They do not require an existing business to close, force an owner to redevelop or guarantee that a particular building will ever be constructed.
Transit-Oriented Area Framework
Provincial Transit-Oriented Area rules also affect parts of Fleetwood around future SkyTrain stations.
For Metro Vancouver SkyTrain stations, the provincial framework uses tiers extending up to 200, 400 and 800 metres from prescribed station locations. On land within a Transit-Oriented Area that is zoned to permit residential use, subject to provincial exemptions, municipal zoning cannot restrict density or building size below the prescribed minimum levels.
For the applicable SkyTrain tiers, those prescribed levels are generally:
- Up to 200 metres: up to at least 5.0 FAR and 20 storeys.
- More than 200 metres and up to 400 metres: up to at least 4.0 FAR and 12 storeys.
- More than 400 metres and up to 800 metres: up to at least 3.0 FAR and 8 storeys.
The important part for a shopping-plaza discussion is that being inside a Transit-Oriented Area does not automatically give every commercial property the same residential development entitlement.
Current zoning and permitted uses still matter.
The Province explains the framework on its Transit-Oriented Development Areas information page.
If you want that distinction in more detail, read what BC Transit-Oriented Development rules mean for Fleetwood homeowners.
Formal Development Process
This is where things get real.
The meaningful turning point comes when somebody begins pursuing a specific development through the City process. Depending on the property and proposal, that may involve an Official Community Plan amendment, plan amendment, rezoning, development permit, subdivision, demolition permit, building permit or some combination of them.
An application still isn’t a guarantee that a project will receive every approval, obtain financing or actually be built. But it’s much stronger evidence than a planning designation or neighbourhood rumour.
That’s why I would check Surrey’s development inquiry information before making a property decision based on something you’ve heard.
Practical Guidance for Buyers and Homeowners
The Fraser Highway corridor is changing. Here’s what that actually means for you.
For Homebuyers
Know the difference between a plan and a project.
Living near a future station or an area being planned for higher density may improve transit access and bring new housing, shops and services over time. But don’t guess at redevelopment timelines from a community plan map.
If you’re considering a family home near the western station area, my guide to buying within walking distance of 152 Street Station looks at the practical trade-offs between future transit access and the street-level experience of living there.
Get ready for some growing pains too. Living near a major transit corridor can mean road work, utility changes, construction noise and evolving traffic patterns while projects move ahead.
For Homeowners
A high-density planning designation isn’t a lottery ticket.
Redevelopment can depend on site size, parcel shape, road access, servicing, zoning, neighbouring ownership, project design, construction costs, financing and market demand. A property being near SkyTrain does not mean a developer has decided to buy it.
The same applies to a larger commercial property.
A plaza may have long-term redevelopment potential without having an active redevelopment application today. And even when an owner eventually decides to pursue redevelopment, the timing can depend on leases, approvals, financing, site constraints and whether the project makes economic sense.
Think in terms of evidence, not a promised timeline.
The Bottom Line
Some commercial sites around Fleetwood’s future SkyTrain stations may eventually be strong redevelopment candidates.
But “could be redeveloped” and “is being redeveloped” are two completely different statements.
A large site near rapid transit may have useful ingredients: location, frontage, commercial activity, a sizeable parcel and a planning framework that anticipates more growth. None of those ingredients on their own tell you when redevelopment will happen, what will be built, what the land is worth or whether the current owner has any intention of pursuing a project.
Before you let a redevelopment story influence a purchase, sale or hold decision, ask what the claim is based on.
Is it a planning designation? Transit-Oriented Area status? Current zoning? A developer approaching owners? A formal City application? Third reading? Final approval? A building permit?
Those are very different stages.
For more on how SkyTrain, planning and redevelopment fit together across Fleetwood, explore the Fleetwood Growth, SkyTrain & Development hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Fresh St. Market plaza in Fleetwood getting knocked down for towers?
In the City development records I reviewed in August 2026, I did not find an active application proposing the demolition and tower redevelopment of Fleetwood Park Village Shopping Centre at 15950 Fraser Highway. Fleetwood's broader planning direction allows for substantial long-term change around the Fraser Highway corridor, but that is different from a current redevelopment application for this specific plaza.
What is one of the largest high-rise proposals near Fleetwood Station?
The Bucci application at 16065 and 16099 Fraser Highway proposes two high-rise mixed-use buildings at 37 and 42 storeys and a 15-storey residential building. Bucci's published project information describes approximately 1,130 homes plus commercial and office space. It is a specific development proposal, which is very different from assuming an existing nearby shopping plaza will also redevelop.
How do BC's Transit-Oriented Area rules affect Fleetwood shopping plazas?
Being inside a Transit-Oriented Area does not automatically give every commercial property the same redevelopment entitlement. Provincial minimum density and height requirements apply where the legislation applies, including land zoned to permit residential use, subject to provincial exemptions. Current zoning, permitted uses, City planning policy and property-specific development requirements still need to be checked.
Does being near Fleetwood Station guarantee that a commercial property will be redeveloped?
No. Proximity to SkyTrain can make a site more strategically interesting, but redevelopment still depends on the property itself, including ownership, zoning, permitted uses, site size, lot configuration, access, servicing, approvals, financing, construction costs and market feasibility.
Will Fleetwood lose its local retail businesses as redevelopment happens?
That cannot be predicted plaza by plaza. Some mixed-use development proposals include new commercial space, but that does not guarantee that existing businesses will remain, return after construction or be replaced by the same types of shops and services. The effect has to be evaluated from the actual redevelopment proposal rather than assumed in advance.