URBANA, ILL. — JLL Capital Markets has arranged the sale and financing of Campus Circle, a 524-bed student housing community in Urbana near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Scott Clifton, Kevin Kazlow and Jack Goldberger of JLL represented the seller, an affiliate of Blue Vista Capital Management LLC. Jake Wisness, Dan Kearns, Mike Brady, Sam Tarter and Bill Maloney of JLL originated a five-year, fixed-rate acquisition loan through Freddie Mac on behalf of the buyer, Horizon Realty Advisors. Campus Circle, located at 1010 W. University Ave., is within walking distance of the College of Engineering and the university’s Main Quad.
Student Housing
Joint Venture Buys Development Site for 397-Bed Student Housing Community Near Colorado State University
by Amy Works
FORT COLLINS, COLO. — A joint venture between Landmark Properties, Silverpeak Real Estate Partners and Peninsula Investments has acquired a development site at 255 Johnson Drive in Fort Collins for the construction of a 397-bed student housing community. Dubbed The Mark Fort Collins, the property will offer 193 units in a mix of studio through four-bedroom configurations for students attending Colorado State University. The six-story development will offer shared amenities including a clubhouse, fitness center, resort-style swimming pool, ski storage, pet spa, individual and group study areas, and rooftop courtyards with grilling stations. Construction on the project is set to begin this month with completion slated for fall 2026. The development team includes Mode 3 Architecture and the company’s in-house construction arm, Landmark Construction. TSB Capital Advisors coordinated financing for the project.
Palladius Capital Management Acquires Multifamily, Student Housing Portfolio for $579M
by John Nelson
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Palladius Capital Management, an Austin-based investment management firm, has purchased a portfolio of nine multifamily and student housing communities. Palladius acquired the portfolio, which comprises five multifamily communities and four student housing properties, for $579 million. The names and locations of the nine properties were not released, but the communities total more than 2,500 apartments and student housing units and are located in high-growth markets and near universities with high application/enrollment growth. The seller was also not disclosed. Palladius acquired the portfolio on behalf of a recently closed, Palladius-sponsored private investment fund that raised approximately $112 million in equity, primarily via private wealth sources. “The successful deployment of this fund speaks to our team’s ability to invest throughout various macroeconomic environments,” says Marko Velazquez, senior managing director of Palladius. Palladius, through its affiliates, manages and operates approximately $950 million of real estate properties across the country. The firm was launched in July 2021 and primarily acquires value-add and core multifamily, student housing and hospitality properties. The company also originates debt investments and acquires whole loans through its privately held REIT, Palladius Income Fund. — John Nelson
ANN ARBOR, MICH. — Landmark Properties has acquired the site of Galleria Mall in Ann Arbor with plans to build a 950-bed student housing community with its in-house construction arm, Landmark Construction. Named The Metropolitan on South U, the 241-unit development will be situated in the South University neighborhood a few blocks away from the Ross School of Business. Rising 18 stories, The Metropolitan will feature approximately 5,200 square feet of ground-floor retail space as well as community amenities, including a clubhouse, fitness center, pool and rooftop lounge. A timeline for construction was not provided. The community marks Landmark’s third ground-up residential development in Ann Arbor and seventh project in the market managed by the company.
Landmark Properties, Stockbridge Recapitalize Student Housing Community Near University of Central Florida
by John Nelson
ORLANDO, FLA. — Landmark Properties has partnered with Stockbridge to recapitalize The Retreat East, a 602-bed student housing development located near the University of Central Florida campus in Orlando. Landmark delivered the cottage-style property in 2021 at 1705 France Drive. The community offers four-, five- and six-bedroom, fully furnished units with bed-to-bath parity. Shared amenities include a two-story fitness center, 24-hour computer lab, group and private study lounges, a resort-style swimming pool and hot tub, grilling area, hammock and cabana grove, an outdoor gaming lawn and a clubhouse. This marks Landmark Properties’ second transaction with Stockbridge following the acquisition of The Retreat Tampa in late November.
Subtext, Kayne Anderson to Break Ground on 1,332-Bed Student Housing Community Near University of Virginia
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — A joint venture between Subtext and Kayne Anderson Real Estate is set to break ground on VERVE Charlottesville, a 1,332-bed development located at 100 Stadium Road near the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville. Spanning 729,262 square feet, the community will offer 463 units in studio through four-bedroom configurations. Shared amenities will include a fireside lobby lounge, café, dedicated library, open and private study areas, a two-story fitness center, club room, maker space, multi-game simulator, pool terrace, dog spa and park and an outdoor fitness lawn. The developer will also contribute $6.8 million to the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund as part of project agreements. Groundbreaking is scheduled for this month with completion slated for summer 2027. The development and financing team for the project includes Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., John Moriarty & Associates, ESG Architecture & Design, Wolf Ackerman Design, AJC Design Group, SK&A, Timmons Group and Williams Mullen as local counsel.
PHOENIX — Colliers has secured a $520 million refinancing for Grand Canyon University’s (GCU) real estate portfolio in Phoenix. Placed through the Industrial Development Authority of the County of Maricopa Education Bonds (Grand Canyon University Project Taxable Series 2024), the loan includes the refinancing of two bridge loans placed by Colliers in October. The loan, which also pays off the university’s credit line, is a 3a2 bond financing and was issued as a partial refinancing of bonds issued by the university in 2021. Robert Kline, Todd Noel and Mindy Korth of Colliers Mortgage Advisory in Phoenix arranged the refinancing. John Stevenson and Mark Somers of Goldman Sachs’ higher education group and the law firms of Ballard Spahr and Nixon Peabody were also involved in the transaction. “The scope of this refinancing is pretty significant in the higher education bond market and speaks to GCU’s outstanding financial performance and strong student outcomes in the six years since reverting to our historical tax-exempt Arizona nonprofit status,” says GCU President Brian Mueller.
MOSCOW, IDAHO — A public-private partnership between the University of Idaho, Gilbane Development Co. and Rocky Mountain Cos. is set to begin a $162.8 million renovation and expansion of the university’s campus in Moscow. The project will include the renovation and redevelopment of the university’s South Hill and Elmwood Apartments, the Wallace Residence Center and the Theophilus Residence Building. “We continue to see enrollment growth as we prove again and again the University of Idaho’s value,” says Scott Green, university president. “Our on-campus housing is an important piece of that value, and our students need and deserve modern living and learning facilities.” The development team for the project includes Lydig, Integrus and Design Collective. A timeline for the project was not announced.
HANOVER, N.H. — Dartmouth College is underway on construction of a 285-bed student housing project at its campus in Hanover, located in the central part of the Granite State. The project is being developed solely by the school and will be located at 25 W. Wheelock St. The five-story structure will feature two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments with full kitchens, living rooms and storage spaces. Other project partners include architecture firm Cube 3 and design-build firm PROCON. Construction began in October and is expected to be complete in advance of the fall 2026 semester.
NEW YORK CITY — Investcorp has purchased three student housing properties totaling 1,962 beds in Central Texas and Oklahoma. The unnamed assets include a 792-bed community that serves students at Texas A&M University in College Station; a 486-bed complex for students at Texas State University in San Marcos; and a 684-bed property that houses students at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Investcorp acquired the properties, all of which were nearly fully occupied at the time of sale, as part of a portfolio deal that included a 699-bed community for students at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.