SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — The Preiss Co., a North Carolina-based student housing owner-operator, has recapitalized Outpost San Marcos, a 486-bed residential community that serves students at Texas State University. Located roughly 1.5 miles from campus, the property offers two-, three- and four-bedroom units that are furnished with individual washers and dryers and private balconies. The recapitalization includes fresh equity that will subsidize a multimillion-dollar capital improvement program.
Not long ago, assessors’ student housing properties valuations generally struggled keeping pace with the rising market. College enrollment was high, rent growth outpaced expenses and student expectations lined up with most newer facility amenities. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout changed the game. Property taxes are often the single highest expense on a property’s profit and loss statement. When market changes make student housing less profitable, the tax burden should not be allowed to remain high. When this occurs, the assessor’s property valuation needs to be challenged and reduced. Projecting Income: Look Forward, Not Back Many jurisdictions assess student housing properties’ value using a cost approach. A computer system estimates the cost to build the property new, then deducts physical depreciation based on the property’s age. Due to skyrocketing construction costs, those depreciation deductions are outpaced by base cost increases. It is common to see cost-based values increase despite struggles facing the real estate market. Owners can combat increases by appealing the assessor’s value. When a student housing property owner files an assessment appeal, the appeal review board often evaluates the three prior years’ operating income. This allows the appeal board to develop an income model intended to represent …
KNOXVILLE, TENN. — A joint venture between Landmark Properties and Manulife Investment Management has announced plans for an 834-bed student housing project in Knoxville, in the University of Tennessee market. Upon completion, the community will feature units in studio, one-, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom layouts. Amenities at the property will include a rooftop pool, 24-hour study lounge, pickleball court, clubhouse, fitness center and a 25,000-square-foot courtyard with fire pits, grilling stations and hammock groves. Construction is scheduled to begin in June for a planned opening in August 2025. Landmark Construction will serve as general contractor on the project.
KNOXVILLE, TENN. — A public-private partnership between the University of Tennessee (UT) and RISE: A Real Estate Co. has announced plans to develop three residence halls on the university’s campus in Knoxville. The three seven-story communities are expected to add 2,500 beds to the university’s housing inventory. Development plans include two communities on Andy Holt Avenue and Caledonia Avenue that will target first- and second-year students. The projects will offer 750 and 1,100 beds, respectively, in fully furnished, one- and two-bedroom units with en-suite bathrooms. Both buildings will include office space for staff and lounge space for students. The development cost for the two communities, which are expected to open in fall 2025, totals approximately $180 million. The third residential community will be located adjacent to the university’s Lindsey Nelson Stadium and will offers 750 beds in two- and four-bedroom apartment-style units. The project, which will cost roughly $129 million to develop, is scheduled for completion in fall 2026. The site will also feature an indoor practice facility that will complement other renovations and enhancements currently underway at the stadium. Pending state approvals, the projects will be delivered through a ground-lease structure in which UT will retain ownership of the …
AUBURN, ALA. — WFI has received a $37.5 million loan for the refinancing of The Union at Auburn, a 501-bed student housing community serving students attending Auburn University in Alabama. The property is located at 900 W. Glenn Ave. and offers two-, three-, four-, five- and six-bedroom units. Tremont Realty Capital provided the financing through Seven Hills Realty Trust, a mortgage REIT managed by the company. The loan is structured with a 30-month initial term and the option for one 12-month extension. Shared amenities include a “state-of-the-art” clubhouse; two-story fitness center, including space for barre, yoga and TRX; business center; 19 study rooms; resort-style swimming pool with an outdoor jumbotron, kitchen and entertainment area; outdoor terrace; dog park; and a self-service bike shop.
BALTIMORE — MCB Real Estate has broken ground on Flats at the Markley, a 146-unit student housing development in the Beverly Hills neighborhood of northeast Baltimore. Situated along Harford Road, the off-campus property will serve students attending nearby Morgan State University. MCB says the five-story development will feature apartments with in-unit washers and dryers, study rooms, game rooms, onsite parking and an outdoor courtyard. MCB expects to complete Flats at the Markley in summer 2025.
KNOXVILLE, TENN. — CBRE has brokered the sale of TENN, a 603-bed student housing community located adjacent to the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville. Jaclyn Fitts, William Vonderfecht, Casey Schaefer and Brett Carr of CBRE represented the seller, Campus Apartments, in the disposition of the property to Schenk Realty. The sales price was not disclosed. The community was developed in 2018 and is located within Knoxville’s Fort Sanders neighborhood at 1830 Cumberland Ave. TENN offers 140 fully furnished units in three-, four- and five-bedroom configurations. Shared amenities include a two-story clubhouse, swimming pool, courtyard grill stations and a fire pit, 24-hour fitness center, computer lab, TV lounge, Zen room, gaming lounge, group study rooms, a coffee station, free tanning, an indoor golf putting green, Amazon hub and ground-floor retail space.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Atlantic City Development Co. has opened a 416-bed residence hall that will serve students at Stockton University. The six-story, 135,000-square-foot building represents the second phase of a larger development that also featured two other residence halls totaling 543 beds and a 56,000-square-foot academic center. Amenities include multiple lounges, a meeting room, business center and onsite laundry facilities. Other project partners included architect Thriven Design and Philadelphia-based engineering firm O’Donnell & Naccarato.
With some markets today saturated with new student housing development, differentiating your project has become of paramount importance. One of the primary ways of doing that is by keeping in touch with the wants and needs of today’s student — and specifically a community’s surrounding demographic. This was discussed at length during the kick-off panel for InterFace Student Housing, which took place in April in Austin, Texas. In preparation for the panel — titled “What’s Trending in New Development: A Survey of 2023 New Deliveries & How Developers and Operators Aim to Address the Needs and Wants of Today’s Students” — a survey was sent out by uForis to 500 Gen Z students ranging in age from 18 to 24 years old regarding their wants, needs and preferences when looking for their next place of residence. The primary takeaways from this year’s survey were the impact of regional differences due to weather and year-round use of amenities; the shift away from entertainment towards health and wellness for shared amenity spaces; and the increasing impact of tech offerings like digital touring and online leasing, according to panel moderator TJ Chambers, owner and founder of Chambers Real Estate Advisors. “During pre-development at …
JACKSONVILLE, ALA. — public-private partnership between RISE: A Real Estate Co. and Jacksonville State University has broken ground on North Village Residence Hall. Located on the university’s campus in Alabama, the 513-bed community will offer suites that include two double-occupancy bedrooms and two bathrooms. The development team for the project includes architect Niles Bolton & Associates and general contractor Choate Construction. Jacksonville State is also currently developing a new dining hall, which will replace the current main cafeteria on campus, and the Loring and Debbie White Football Complex. The Jax State Dining Hall will be operated by Sodexo and will feature a traditional food line with several concept stations and seating. The dining hall’s development team includes general contractor Brasfield & Gorrie, Williams Blackstock Architects and Kemp Management Services. The football complex will replace the existing field house at the university’s stadium and will offer modern art training facilities for student athletes; coaching offices and meeting rooms; a hall of fame honoring the history of the university’s football program; and new suites to enhance the game day experience for fans. The general contractor for that project is also Brasfield & Gorrie, the architect is Goodwyn Mills Cawood and the program manager …
