Student Housing

KENNESAW, GA. — Vesper Holdings has purchased The Indy, a 543-bed student housing community near Kennesaw State University (KSU). Delivered earlier this year, the property offers one- to five-bedroom floor plans with bed-to-bath parity. Unit interiors feature granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, washers and dryers and 55-inch smart TVs. Communal amenities include a fitness center, rooftop lounges, clubhouse and a pool. The community is situated on 4.2 acres at 3011 Hidden Forest Court in Kennesaw, two miles from KSU’s campus. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.

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BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — The Opus Group and The McKinney Fund have delivered Ascend Five Points South, a 520-bed student housing community near the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The property offers studio to four-bedroom floor plans with rents starting at $739 per month. Communal amenities include a pool, fitness center, study rooms and a spa. The asset is situated at 1001 20th St. S., adjacent to the UAB campus. The design team for Ascend Five Points South included Rabren General Contractors, Myefski Architects and Creative License International. Asset Living manages the community.

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RICHMOND, VA. — A joint venture between Balboa Real Estate Partners and The Opus Group has broken ground on Ascend Richmond. The 428-bed student housing community will be located near the Virginia Commonwealth University campus. The project will offer a mix of studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. Communal amenities will include an outdoor terrace, pool, a fitness center and lounge areas. Rabren General Contractors is the general contractor for the project. A timeline for completion was not disclosed.

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By Justin Wybenga, GMH Capital Partners The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold globally, shifting the way we conduct business and go about our day-to-day lives. Across all sectors of commercial real estate, we’ve seen a lot of change, from sanitation measures to limited in-person interactions and occupancy. The most important lesson from 2020 is the need to be resilient and adapt as the landscape evolves. That’s exactly what we’re seeing in student housing, especially in the Midwest, as owners prepare for next year. Here are four trends we can expect to see in the Midwest student housing sector in 2021 as a result of COVID-19. Sanitation, touch-free COVID-19 has introduced a whole new set of cleaning best practices, and moving forward, residents expect enhanced methods in their communities. To satisfy the new sanitation expectations, we’ve seen owners implement a variety of initiatives, such as installing upgraded air filtration systems and using hospital-grade electrostatic sprayers to sanitize commonly touched surfaces, disinfecting all amenity and common areas on a regular basis, and requiring all staff members to use personal protective equipment (PPE). Many residents are also looking for convenient contactless or concierge-focused amenities, such as package and food …

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LEXINGTON, KY. — Newmark has arranged the sale of The Lex, a 649-bed student housing community near the University of Kentucky in Lexington. The property is the closest student housing community to Rupp Arena, the home court of the university’s men’s basketball team. Communal amenities at The Lex include a business center, game room, 24-hour fitness center, pool and grilling areas. The property offers studio to four-bedroom floor plans. Debbie Corson, Ryan Lang and Jack Brett of Newmark represented the seller, a partnership between Atlanta-based CF Real Estate Services and global private equity firm SFO Group, in the transaction. Boston-based William Fideli Investments acquired the asset for an undisclosed price.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Newmark has brokered the sale of The Avenue, a 358-bed student housing property near Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). The asset features one-, two- and four-bedroom units with a variety of floor plans. The property sits on 3.4 acres directly adjacent to the northern edge of campus. Ryan Lang, Jack Brett and Debbie Corson of Newmark represented the seller, Preiss Cos., in a partnership with Investcorp. Atlanta-based Student Quarters was the buyer. IUPUI is a core campus of Indiana University that also offers Purdue University degrees. It is the result of a 1969 merger between Purdue Indianapolis Extension Center and Indiana University Indianapolis.

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HARRISONBURG, VA. — Campus Apartments LLC has purchased Aspen Heights Harrisonburg, a 600-bed, cottage-style student housing community located near James Madison University in Harrisonburg. Aspen Heights sold the community for an undisclosed price. The property offers two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom units. Communal amenities include a 24-hour fitness center, computer lab, study lounge, tanning bed, access to a campus shuttle, movie theater, volleyball court and a pool. CBRE brokered the sale of the property. Campus Apartments intends to rebrand the property and implement a light value-add plan that will entail enhancements to both the clubhouse and exterior amenity areas.

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CLEMSON, S.C. — Tiger Properties has broken ground on Cambridge Creek Clemson, a 380-bed student housing community located two miles from the Clemson University campus in South Carolina. The property will offer two- and three-bedroom units. Communal amenities will include a 5,000-square-foot clubhouse with a fitness center, study lounge, computer lab and game room. Outdoor amenities will include a pool, open-air pavilion, grilling stations and green space. The project is scheduled to deliver in August 2021.

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FORT WORTH, TEXAS — A partnership between student housing developer Panteras Development Partners and owner-operator Miyama USA will build a 101-bed student housing property in Fort Worth that will serve students at Texas Wesleyan University. The 56-unit property will be located within a short walk of the heart of the campus and will feature one- and two-bed floor plans, as well as student lounges with large-screen TVs and dedicated study areas. The opening is scheduled for fall 2022.

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Ruckus-Pullman-WA

PULLMAN, WASH. — Highland Realty Capital has secured a $41 million bridge loan for The Ruckus, a 976-bed student housing community located near Washington State University in Pullman. The company secured financing — $2 million of which will be used to convert 89 four-bedroom units into three-bedroom units with bed-to-bath parity — through a Los Angeles-based debt fund on behalf of the borrower, NB Private Capital (NBPC). “Bed-to-bath parity is always an issue, and with COVID-19, it became an obvious upgrade for us to make,” says Blake Wettengel, president of NBPC.

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