A huge redevelopment plan for Surrey's Whalley neighbourhood was approved by council Monday night, despite concerns from residents who will be displaced to make way for the project — many of whom are seniors.

Rize Alliance Properties plans to tear down two apartment buildings containing 154 rental units on 137A Street and 101 Avenue.

In 2021, the developer hopes to start construction on six buildings, ranging from from six to 39 storeys in height, which will include about a thousand new homes.

Several residents of the buildings slated for demolition spoke in opposition to the project at Monday night's council meeting.

Longtime tenant Brenda Vidovic says many of the residents being displaced are seniors.

"We're all a family where we are in this place here," she said.

"Sometimes, we're the only people that somebody else in the building knows and if something were to happen to them, even though I don't know everything about them, I might be the only person that they call."

Rize is offering compensation to all displaced tenants and has hired a full-time employee to help them find new housing.

But Vidovic says many of her neighbours are on fixed incomes and pay as little as $750 per month in rent, so they won't be able to afford to stay in Surrey.

"I certainly don't want my next address to be a tent number zero in some alley in Surrey," she said. "I worked all my life that I should have better."

A rendering of what the development will look like when it's completed. (Rize Alliance Properties)

Support for project

About half a dozen people, most of whom said they are current or former students at SFU's Surrey campus, spoke in favour of the project.

Surrey resident Deepak Sharma says the ground level shops, cafes and daycare that are included in the proposal will be a benefit to the city.

"On days like this, I believe we all forget that we aren't the same suburb we identified as 14-plus years ago, but rather one of the fastest growing urban areas in North America," he said.

"This is why we all, as members of the community, must stop this attitude of not in my backyard, but rather encourage and support the positive growth of our communities."