Project concept for UFV Abbotsford's campus community. (Image Credit: University of the Fraser Valley)

By Alyssa Conti

Campus Growth

UFV looks to develop campus land for community-building, revenue sources

Mar 21, 2026 | 3:23 PM

CHILLIWACK — The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) is looking ahead to a future of bustling campus environments by building on its existing, underused land.

UFV Properties Trust, or the aptly named Campus Communities, is eyeing possible projects on its properties on Canada Education Park in Chilliwack and the UDistrict in Abbotsford.

The Trust was established in 2023 to develop UFV-owned land through 99-year ground leases with developers who would then lease the sites to customers.

For the university, it’s a way to generate sustainable revenue sources that may also benefit students and staff who spend their days on campus.

“There are not a lot of opportunities for us to generate the kind of investment funding that we want, to build out our campuses,” said Jackie Hogan, UFV vice-president of administration.

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“So, we asked ourselves, what can we leverage to meet our capital goals and academic plans? What we have is land, and it comes with the added benefit of building community near campus. We are trying to be proactive, instead of just waiting for government funding to come our way.”

The Abbotsford campus would first develop on two existing parking lots adjacent to King Road before moving on to Lot 2A, near the Rogers Forum.

“Developing market housing on our Abbotsford campus dovetails nicely with the U-District project and would help to make it more of a community, as opposed to a commuter campus in the middle of industrial land.”

The Vedder Road corridor in Chilliwack would be honed in with both residential projects and a “creative collision zone” to create potential industry and research partnerships close to campus.

“Chilliwack will be our long-term growth campus,” Jackie notes.  “We have known that and had plans for that since we made the decision to cross town, leave our former Chilliwack North campus, and acquired the Canada Education Park land in the early 2000s.”

• Chilliwack council approves OCP amendment, motions to facilitate 218-unit development in South Vedder

The new Abbotsford campus parking lot is set to be completed this year, with the first phase of development to start in 2028. The Chilliwack campus is expected to complete the rezoning process in 2027.

The plans come amid recent news of expanded housing at UFV Abbotsford and more than a year since Chilliwack council approved a 218-unit residential project near UFV Chilliwack.