A new student housing and mixed-use project is coming to York University’s Keele campus.

York has reached an agreement with the Forum York Development Corporation (FYDC), which is made up of Canadian infrastructure development and investment firm Forum Equity Partners Inc. and international student housing development Campus Suites Inc.

Called “The Quad,” the new development will be made up of four buildings, containing student residential space and at-grade retail. The project will add about 800 beds to the university’s residential inventory. The suite-style units will be made available to both York University and Seneca at York students.

To be located next to the academic core of the campus, The Quad will be near courtyards, landscaped plaza and pedestrian walkways. The development site, which is currently an underutilized parking lot, will be leased to FYDC.

“We are excited to take our extensive development experience and bring it to the Canadian marketplace,” says Henry Morton, president of Campus Suites and a York University alumnus. “The Quad will be one of the preeminent, purpose-built student housing sites in the country.  We have developed a relationship with York University and its community that ensures that the needs of all stakeholders were heard and incorporated in the final designs.”

The buildings will have management staff on hand 24 hours each day, and include amenities such as workout centres, multi-purpose rooms, physical gaming centres and study rooms.

“The Quad student housing community will benefit York’s students, and is part of our broader housing strategy of reinvesting in our existing residences and working with experienced private firms to deliver new beds,” says Gary Brewer, vice-president of finance and administration at York University. “This project will deliver high-quality new housing on the doorstep of our classrooms.”