High-rise proposals are not uncommon in Surrey, but a new rezoning application submitted recently includes an element that is more unique: a new mosque.
The subject site of the proposal is 13508, 13526, 13536, and 13546 98A, near the intersection of King George Boulevard and Fraser Highway. The site is also located one block south of Holland Park and the Expo Line SkyTrain’s King George Station.
13526 98A Avenue is currently home to Masjid Al Noor, also known as the “Mosque of Lights,” which was established in 1994, although the building itself was originally constructed in 1946. The other three parcels are occupied by single-family homes.
BC Assessment values the respective parcels at $2,001,000, $4,010,600, $2,033,000, and $1,467,000, for a total assessed value of $9,511,600 dated to July 1, 2025.
For the site, the application proposes a 38-storey tower with 373 residential units — 10 studio units, 212 one-bedroom units, 141 two-bedroom units, and 10 three-bedroom units — and 21,840 sq. ft of commercial space that will be a new mosque.
The residential tower and mosque will be physically connected, with the tower on the right side of the mosque, fronting 98A Avenue. The two components will have separate entrances. The mosque is not perfectly parallel to the tower, which City staff said in a recent planning report is so the mosque is oriented towards Mecca.
The applicant is seeking to rezone the site from R3 (Urban Residential) and PA-1 (Assembly Hall) to CD (Comprehensive Development) and the project has a proposed density of 8.1 FAR.
There is no minimum parking requirements due to the site being considered a Tier 2 transit-oriented area, as a result of its proximity to King George Station, but the proposal nonetheless includes a six-level underground parkade with 332 vehicle parking spaces and 466 bicycle parking stalls.
An overview of the proposal for 13508-13546 98A. (Group 161, Masjid Al Noor)
In the planning report, City staff noted that the proposal is not in line with City policy, but were nonetheless supportive of the project.
“The proposed development does not comply with the Official Community Plan/City Centre Plan particularly in relation to land use designations as well as maximum density,” said City staff. “However, increased densities are generally supportable in this area of City Centre and reflective of nearby approved developments. The proposal features high-quality architecture, appropriate site planning, improved streetscape, contributing positively to the surrounding area.”
Staff said they support the proposal because it is “generally consistent with applicable planning policies and contributes to housing supply and places of worship.”
Renderings of the proposal for 13508-13546 98A. (Group 161, Masjid Al Noor)
The architect of the project is DF Architecture, which is owned by Group 161 and described the overall design concept of the tower as one that creates “an ascending motion throughout the massing.”
“A variety of different elements are used to support this overarching concept,” said City staff. “At the base, it is expressed in the shape of the residential canopy, stepping of interlocking volumes of the mosque and podium setbacks. Moving up the tower, it is then represented by stepping two-storey indoor-outdoor amenity components. The final step is expressed in a change of the tower cladding as it transitions into a crown.”
According to the staff report, the City received three petitions regarding the project: one in opposition to the whole project, one in opposition to the high-rise tower, and one in support of the whole project. The petition with the most signatures — 2,101 — was the one in support of the project.
On Monday, Surrey City Council granted first and second readings to the application, and advanced it to a public hearing scheduled for Monday, June 15.
