GAINESVILLE, FLA. — A joint venture between 908 Group, Scannell Properties and Atlantic American Partners has received $65 million in construction financing for an unnamed development of a 604-bed student housing community near the University of Florida in Gainesville. First Merchant’s Bank, First Financial Bank and Old National Bank provided the construction loan for the community. TSB Capital Advisors acted as special advisor in the financing. The project will offer a mix of one-, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom units with bed-to-bath parity. Communal amenities will include ground-floor retail space, outdoor courtyards, pools, private study lounges, a clubroom and a fitness center. The community is scheduled for completion in fall 2022. Humphrey’s & Partners designed the asset, and Arco-Murray is the general contractor. Houston-based multifamily operator Asset Living will manage the community upon completion.
Student Housing
MEMPHIS, TENN. — The Annex Group will develop Annex of Memphis, a 208-bed student housing community near the University of Memphis. The Indianapolis-based developer expects development costs to total $19.1 million. The property will offer studio, two-, three- and four-bedroom floor plans. Rents will range from $1,050 per month per student for studios down to $705 per month for four-bedroom units. Communal amenities will include a fitness center and covered parking. The Annex of Memphis will be situated at 3601 Midland Ave., two blocks from campus and seven miles east of downtown Memphis. The Annex Group expects to break ground in the coming weeks and will welcome its first students in summer 2021. Axis Architecture + Interiors designed the community, which Granite Student Living will manage upon completion. First Merchants Bank is providing construction financing.
PRAIRIE VIEW, TEXAS — Los Angeles-based Parkview Financial has provided a $9.5 million construction loan for a 120-unit student housing project in Prairie View, about 50 miles northwest of Houston. The property will serve Prairie View A&M University and represents the first phase of a 390-unit development that will be known as Prairie View Plaza. The first building will consist of 72 one-bedroom units and 48 two-bedroom units with full kitchens and individual washers and dryers. Phase I is expected to be complete in the second quarter of 2021. In addition to the student housing portion, Prairie View Plaza will ultimately include 70 townhomes for sale, 100 apartments and 58,000 square feet of retail space. The borrower was PV Asset Management.
Aspen Heights Breaks Ground on 752-Bed Student Housing Community Near Washington State University
by Amy Works
PULLMAN, WASH. — Aspen Heights Partners has broken ground on Aspen Heights Pullman, a 752-bed, cottage-style student housing community for students attending Washington State University. The property will offer a mix of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom units with bed-to-bath parity. Shared amenities will include a community building, hot tub, fitness center and an on-site shuttle to campus. The development is scheduled for completion in fall 2021.
SHERMAN, TEXAS — General contractor KWA Construction has completed Phase II of a student housing project for Austin College, a liberal arts school located in the North Texas city of Sherman. The second phase delivered 38 units within a 43,613-square-foot building. Phase I, which was completed in 2011, also consisted of 38 units within a 43,010-square-foot building. Dallas-based Architecture Demarest designed Phase II of the project, which will open in time for the resumption of fall classes on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Servitas, National Park College Complete 180-Bed Student Housing Project in Hot Springs, Arkansas
by Alex Tostado
HOT SPRINGS, ARK. — A public-private partnership between Servitas and National Park College has completed construction of Dogwood Hall, a 180-bed residence hall that will serve students of the public community college in Hot Springs. The community is National Park College’s first on-campus student housing building. The three-story property comprises 52 fully furnished units. Communal amenities include study lounges on each floor, package lockers, an onsite laundry room and resident parking. Servitas served as lead developer for the project and will manage the community. The development team also included BGO Architect, Design Collective, Annex and Stevens Financing. Students began moving into Dogwood Hall on Aug. 20 and in-person classes at National Park began today.
Moss Construction Completes $134M University of Miami Lakeside Village Student Housing Property
by Alex Tostado
CORAL GABLES, FLA. — Moss Construction has delivered University of Miami Lakeside Village, a $134 million, 1,115-bed student housing community on the University of Miami campus. The 569,441-square-foot, seven-story project features 25 interconnected buildings and several outdoor spaces. The property offers classrooms, music rooms, study areas, recreation rooms, a 200-seat auditorium and offices. The buildings also have food options, a package center and an exhibition hall. The university opened for in-person classes Monday, Aug. 17, a week earlier than planned due to the coronavirus pandemic. The fall semester will conclude Friday, Nov. 20, the week before Thanksgiving. To support sustainability initiatives, the property includes green roofs that absorb carbon dioxide to help clean the air and regulate the climate. Also, existing plant life was evaluated and, when possible, integrated into the landscape or relocated elsewhere on campus. Miami-based Arquitectonica designed the community. — Alex Tostado
Construction has been one of the lucky few segments of the economy that has continued humming along during the pandemic. Student housing projects are still going on as planned, as construction has mostly fallen into the “essential” category of business during the shutdown. While builders report there have been few supply-chain issues, there were some initial slowdowns related to delivery. “The only significant supply side issue we have had was on a project that we have under construction serving UMass Amherst,” says Brent Little, president of Fountain Residential Partners. The project, North 116 Flats, is under construction for delivery for fall of this year. “When the outbreak hit fever pitch, we had all of our cabinets and countertops for the project on a ship coming from China in the middle of the ocean. We were very puckered up until those six containers hit the port in Connecticut, and we received pictures of them on the dock. We are now installing those cabinets in the fourth building of five buildings, so that issue has been mitigated. We were worried about some other items, such as laminate flooring, that were coming from overseas as well, but it has all arrived. If it …
City of Whiting, Calumet College of St. Joseph Open 32-Unit Apartment Property in Indiana
by Amy Works
WHITING, IND. — The City of Whiting and Calumet College of St. Joseph (CCSJ) have opened the Illiana, a residential property located at 1200 119th St. in Whiting. The development, which is a public-private partnership between the two parties, offers proximity to CCSJ, downtown Whiting shopping and restaurants, as well as Lake Michigan. The Illiana features 32 units in three floor plans. Each unit offers granite countertops, nine-foot ceilings, kitchen islands, private balconies, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The five-story building also offers 3,600 square feet of ground-level retail space. CCSJ has master-leased 12 units for three years at The Illiana as part of an initiative to provide housing opportunities for students. Holladay Properties, a full-scale land development, design/build and fully integrated real estate company, developed the property.
UC Funds Provides $13M Construction Loan for Student Housing Project in Berkeley, California
by Amy Works
BERKELEY, CALIF. — UC Funds has provided a $13 million construction loan for a student housing development in Berkeley. The undisclosed borrower plans to develop a 40-unit student housing project on the site, which is located on University Avenue adjacent to the University of California – Berkeley.