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February 12, 2026 – OpenRoad Auto Group and Conwest Developments have officially launched the Surrey Auto Loop, a 16-acre automotive retail campus in Newton, B.C., just weeks after wrapping up a rezoning process that took less than four months – a pace rarely seen in Canadian commercial real estate.
The project, located at 13340 76 Avenue, will eventually house up to seven dealerships, with Surrey Honda and Mercedes-Benz Surrey already confirmed as anchor tenants. Conwest, which owned the industrial site, led the rezoning on behalf of OpenRoad as a condition of the sale. Construction is slated to begin this year, with the first showrooms opening in the first half of 2028.
Conwest submitted the rezoning application on October 1, 2025. The city granted first reading on December 1, held a public hearing on January 12, 2026, and advanced the plan through third reading shortly after – all within approximately 3.5 months.
Ben Taddei, CEO and Partner at Conwest, told RENX that the speed of approval was a deliberate effort by the City of Surrey to capture construction and permanent jobs. “They responded and they delivered the zoning quickly,” he said. “We know the mayor and council. We’ve got good social capital there.”
The rezoning expanded the site’s permitted uses from industrial warehousing to include automotive sales, rentals, insurance, servicing, car washes, detailing, and complementary retail and food-and-beverage businesses. The property was previously a Mountain Equipment Company distribution center.
The Surrey Auto Loop’s rapid approval stands in contrast to typical timelines in the United States, where auto mall rezoning projects can take 12 to 24 months or more, depending on local environmental reviews, traffic studies, and community opposition.
“Canadian municipalities, especially in fast-growing suburbs like Surrey, are increasingly willing to fast-track projects that promise immediate job creation,” said Mark Reynolds, a senior analyst at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA). “In the U.S., we’re seeing similar trends in states like Texas and Florida, where cities compete for tax revenue and employment. But the coordination between developer and city in Surrey is a standout example of public-private alignment.”
Reynolds noted that the 3.5-month timeline could serve as a benchmark for U.S. auto retail developers looking to pitch similar projects to local governments.
The Surrey Auto Loop will feature seven lots with approximately 166,000 square feet of commercial space across multiple dealership buildings, including showrooms, offices, and service bays. The campus will also offer more than 1,000 vehicle parking stalls.
OpenRoad CEO Christian Chia said the company is in “active discussions” with several brands and expects to announce additional dealerships before the end of the year. Construction contractors have not yet been selected, but civil and site work is set to begin in 2026.
“We needed the city to be aligned with our vision, and we needed a great location,” Chia said. “Surrey is B.C.’s fastest-growing city, and the demographics here are strong.”
While the Surrey Auto Loop is a landmark retail project, Conwest is doubling down on industrial development across Metro Vancouver. Taddei said the company is “100% focused on traditional industrial” for the foreseeable future, citing challenging economics for other asset classes.
“The market is not going to bail you out,” Taddei said. “There’s been little to no price appreciation. We’re seeing structural changes in land prices and end-unit values.”
Conwest is currently in final sales on two strata warehouse projects: Fortitude (eight units in Port Kells) and Vulcan (14 dock-loading units in North Richmond). It is also leasing The Grid, a 52,000-square-foot standalone warehouse in Port Kells, and preparing to market Telegraph, a 173,000-square-foot warehouse at 19520 Telegraph Trail in Surrey.
The Surrey Auto Loop is expected to generate hundreds of construction jobs and permanent service positions once fully operational. The City of Surrey, which has grown by more than 100,000 residents since 2020, has prioritized employment-generating projects to offset residential tax pressures.
Taddei emphasized that the project demonstrates how an experienced developer can reposition employment land for a major new use while collaborating with a municipality and an end user. “This is a blueprint for how to create jobs and economic growth in a challenging economic environment,” he said.
As the first dealerships prepare to open in 2028, the Surrey Auto Loop stands as a case study in efficient municipal planning – and a potential model for U.S. automotive retail developers looking to accelerate their own projects.
