WASHINGTON, D.C. — Campus Apartments LLC, a developer and manager of university-affiliated real estate, has partnered with Howard University to develop a modern living-learning neighborhood on Howard’s campus in Washington, D.C. The $107 million project will accommodate 1,360 undergraduate students on the campus of the private research university. The residential neighborhood is slated for an August 2014 completion, just in time for the fall semester.
“The addition of these state-of-the-art residential facilities will help to revitalize the 4th Street corridor of our campus and establish a physical community for students to live, learn and socialize,” says Sidney Ribeau, president of Howard University. “By improving the quality of our housing, this project will aid in the recruitment and retention of students and enhance the overall collegiate experience at Howard University.”
The development will feature two on-campus residential facilities at the southeast portion of campus. The development’s bedrooms will be two-person semi-suites designed to give students a communal living experience. The project will also include social and study lounges, game rooms, laundry facilities, independent apartment units for faculty and staff, a 200-person multipurpose room, classrooms, academic advisory offices and a new home for Howard’s Office of Residence Life.
Dr. Barbara Griffin, vice president for student affairs at Howard University, says, “This neighborhood-style development will create a strong sense of community for students and will promote collaborative opportunities across the university.”
The residences will be built close to existing facilities at Howard in order to consolidate students closer to the core of campus.
“The residence halls are designed to foster a true live-learn environment for underclassmen and will attract new generations of students for years to come,” predicts Daniel Bernstein, executive vice president and chief investment officer at Campus Apartments. “It is extremely rewarding to be part of a project that will redefine the campus landscape and provide the types of facilities that will help the university achieve its institutional goals.”
The project team for the development includes Providence Resources Group, RBC Capital, Clark Construction and McKissack & McKissack, an architectural design and construction firm based in D.C. Campus Apartments and Howard University financed the project through tax-exempt bonds issued by the District of Columbia.
Campus Apartments has more than $2 billion worth of assets under management with more than 30,000 beds in 24 states.
— John Nelson