Fairleigh Dickinson University will open its new Vancouver campus at Oakridge Park for the fall 2026 term, bringing students, faculty and university visitors to the recently opened mixed-use development throughout the academic year.
The 70,000-square-foot facility will consolidate FDU Vancouver’s two existing downtown locations into a single campus. The move places the university alongside Oakridge Park’s growing collection of retail, dining, residential, office, cultural and civic uses, adding another source of weekday activity to the five-million-square-foot redevelopment.
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private, not-for-profit institution with two campuses in New Jersey and an established presence in Vancouver. Its Canadian campus opened in 2007 and offers undergraduate and graduate programs in business, health, hospitality and tourism, humanities and information technology.
FDU President Michael Avaltroni described the move as an important stage in the university’s growth in British Columbia.
“Expanding to Oakridge Park is a defining moment for FDU Vancouver,” Avaltroni said. “This campus will deepen our engagement with local BC businesses, expand experiential learning opportunities, and create a space where innovation, culture, and academic excellence converge for the benefit of students and the broader community.”
New Campus Consolidates Downtown Operations
FDU’s Vancouver operations are currently divided between locations at 842 Cambie Street and 89 West Georgia Street. The university will bring those facilities together at Oakridge Park, providing a larger environment for teaching, student services, collaboration and events.
The new campus will include 18 classrooms, five computer labs, two semi-wet science laboratories, collaboration rooms, a library, learning and writing centres, and dedicated space for student government and clubs. A tiered multipurpose area will accommodate student programming, industry events and other gatherings.
FDU’s most recent published campus statistics show that 610 students were enrolled in Vancouver in fall 2025. That total included 495 graduate students and 115 undergraduate students, with most attending on a full-time basis.
The university has not publicly disclosed its projected fall 2026 enrolment or the eventual operating capacity of the Oakridge Park campus. The larger facility provides space for expanded academic programming, industry engagement and student services as FDU develops its Vancouver presence.
The university’s new address will be 210–5968 Cornelia Mews. FDU has said the campus will be operational for the beginning of the fall term, although a precise opening date has not been announced.
Adding Weekday Activity to Oakridge Park
The campus represents a different kind of anchor for Oakridge Park. Luxury stores and destination restaurants can draw visitors from across Metro Vancouver, with many arriving for occasional shopping or dining trips. A university creates a population that returns several times each week and may spend hours within or around the property.
Students and faculty could arrive throughout the morning and remain through the afternoon or evening, supporting activity during periods that may be quieter for traditional shopping. University receptions, networking functions, visiting speakers and alumni events will also bring employers, families and other guests into the development.
Chrystal Burns, Executive Vice President, Canadian Retail Experience at QuadReal Property Group, said FDU’s expansion represents an important milestone for the wider Oakridge community.
“This partnership exemplifies our ability to deliver bespoke, world-class spaces that elevate both academic and student experiences,” Burns said. “By fostering a forward-thinking, inclusive campus environment, we are proud to play a key role in FDU’s growth and continued success in shaping the next generation of leaders.”
The location gives students direct access to Oakridge–41st Avenue Station on the Canada Line, along with bus service on Cambie Street and West 41st Avenue. That connectivity will be important for a university serving students from across Metro Vancouver and a substantial international population.
Retail Benefits Likely to Be Concentrated
The arrival of hundreds of students will generate additional foot traffic, although the resulting spending will likely be concentrated within a relatively narrow group of businesses.
Oakridge Park’s current retail mix is strongly oriented toward luxury and premium brands. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Bvlgari, Tiffany & Co., Brunello Cucinelli, Rolex and other international luxury names are among the retailers operating or preparing to open at the property.
Most students are unlikely to become frequent customers of those boutiques. Their routine purchases will probably be directed toward grocery, pharmacy, casual food, cafés and practical services.
Safeway is positioned to become one of the clearest beneficiaries. The full-service grocery store and pharmacy can serve students looking for prepared foods, snacks, personal-care products, medication and other everyday necessities.
A forthcoming A&W on a lower level of the development will add a familiar quick-service option. Oakridge Park also offers cafés, bakeries and a growing collection of restaurant concepts, although much of the dining mix sits above conventional food-court pricing.
Time Out Market Vancouver provides the largest concentration of food choices at the development. The approximately 51,000-square-foot market contains 18 kitchens, three bars, coffee and dessert concepts, event space and seating for close to 1,000 people.
Its lineup includes burgers, fried chicken, pizza, tacos, noodles and other casual formats, along with concepts led by recognized Vancouver chefs. The market could become a gathering place for students, faculty and university visitors, though the frequency of student visits will depend partly on price.
More accessible fashion and lifestyle retailers, including Aritzia, Sephora, lululemon and Sporting Life, may see some crossover. Oakridge Park also includes pharmacy, laboratory, medical and dental services that could benefit from a larger population spending time on site.
The property has a limited selection of telecommunications, stationery, value-oriented fashion and other categories frequently found near a major post-secondary campus. FDU’s arrival may reveal opportunities for additional affordable food, services and everyday retail as Oakridge Park’s residential, office and student populations grow.
Potential Connections with Oakridge Businesses
FDU has placed business and industry engagement near the centre of its rationale for moving to Oakridge Park.
The university says the campus will support experiential learning, career development and closer connections with British Columbia employers. Its academic programs have potential links to several sectors represented within the development, including retail, hospitality, tourism, technology, marketing, property management, health services and events.
Oakridge Park could provide a setting for internships, class projects, networking functions and employer partnerships. QuadReal, Westbank, retailers, restaurant operators, medical businesses and cultural organizations are all active within or connected to the project.
The inclusion of a large multipurpose area for student and industry events indicates that outside engagement will form part of the campus experience.
The university has already promoted business networking, alumni and partner events connected to the new location. Those activities will bring a wider group of visitors to Oakridge Park, including employers, alumni, visiting executives, speakers and students’ families.
Some of those visitors may have different spending patterns from the general student body, creating occasional opportunities for the development’s restaurants, services and premium retailers.
Another Layer in Oakridge Park’s Mixed-Use Strategy
Oakridge Park opened its first major retail phase in May 2026 following years of redevelopment at the former Oakridge Centre site.
Co-developed by QuadReal Property Group and Westbank, the completed project is expected to span more than five million square feet across a 28-acre site. Plans include approximately 650,000 square feet of retail, more than 3,000 residences, around 720,000 square feet of office space and a nine-acre park.
The development will also include a community centre, public library, performance venues and other cultural and civic components. More than 6,000 residents and approximately 3,000 office workers are anticipated at full build-out.
Each component contributes a different population and pattern of use. Residents support morning, evening and weekend activity, while office employees create weekday demand. Retailers, restaurants and cultural programming bring regional visitors, and civic amenities attract people from the surrounding community.
FDU adds a student and academic population to that mix. Its direct contribution to luxury retail sales may be limited, but its presence can increase weekday activity, transit use and demand for food, grocery and services. Students also introduce a younger demographic to a development that has so far been most closely associated with its collection of luxury flagships.
Oakridge Park’s long-term performance will depend on how effectively it serves the different groups that live, work, study, shop and spend time there. FDU’s move adds another substantial use to that ecosystem and strengthens the development’s emerging role as a new urban district within Vancouver.
