TUCSON, ARIZ. — Inland Real Estate Acquisitions has purchased The Parker, a student housing community in Tucson. Mark Cosenza of Inland Acquisition, with assistance from Brett Smith of The Inland Real Estate Group law department, completed the transaction on behalf of an Inland affiliate. The seller and price were not disclosed. Developed in 2021, The Parker features 131 units in a mix of 13 studio, 52 two-bedroom, seven three-bedroom, 46 four-bedroom, 20 five-bedroom and 19 six-bedroom units. Each unit is fully furnished with wood-style flooring, modern furniture, memory foam mattresses, TVs, private locks on bedroom doors, granite countertops, a full-size washer/dryer, valet trash service and electronic key card access. Community amenities include private and group study rooms; a fitness center with a yoga studio; gated resident parking garage; modern clubhouse; an on-site Chase bank; a rooftop deck with pool, hot tub and poolside cabanas; an outdoor fitness center; fully equipped outdoor kitchen; and a courtyard with a fire pit, lounge seating and games. The property is currently 99.5 percent occupied and is 78 percent pre-leased for the 2024/2025 school year. Core Spaces will manage the property. The Parker is immediately adjacent to the west side of the University of Arizona.
SEATTLE — PGIM Real Estate has provided a $53.5 million floating-rate loan to Blue Vista Capital Management for the refinancing of Theory U District, a student housing community in Seattle. Serving the students at University of Washington, the seven-story property features 171 units totaling 441 beds. Loan proceeds will be used to refinance the construction loan, covering closing costs and repatriating sponsor equity. Craig Foreman of PGIM Real Estate closed the financing.
NORMAN, OKLA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of Campus Lodge, a 192-unit student housing property located about two miles from the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman. Built in 2004, Campus Lodge comprises 19 buildings that house 768 beds in three- and four-bedroom layouts. Amenities include a pool, sand volleyball court, basketball court, outdoor grilling and dining stations and a coffee bar. Patrick Mullowney and Joel Dumes of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, The Collier Cos., in the transaction. The duo also procured the buyer, Denver-based investment firm Cardinal Group. Campus Lodge was 97 percent occupied at the time of sale.
NEW YORK CITY — A joint venture between Charney Cos. and Criterion Real Estate Capital has acquired 99 Claremont Avenue, a student housing property located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. The seven-story building was originally constructed in 1932. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. Madison Realty Capital provided a $55 million bridge loan for the acquisition, and the new ownership plans to use a portion of the proceeds to renovate the property.
Student housing’s strong occupancy rates and rent growth stand out as a bright spot when compared with the rest of commercial real estate sectors, many of which turned in a lackluster performance over the past year. Student housing rental rates at the nation’s top 175 universities increased an average of nearly 8 percent in the 2022-2023 academic year while occupancy in the fall of 2023 was 150 basis points higher than the average occupancy rate over the five preceding falls, according to Berkadia’s 2023 Student Housing Pipeline Report. Pre-leasing heading into the 2024-2025 academic year surpassed 40 percent in December, according to RealPage, and observers expect effective rents to increase an average of around 10 percent compared to around 9 percent in the 2023-2024 period. Meanwhile, fewer lenders are willing to provide construction financing, which is slowing the development pipeline. Developers could add 48,000 beds in 2024, an increase of 11 percent over 2023, but new supply is projected to decline steeply to 28,190 beds in 2025, Berkadia reports. Those metrics, along with growing enrollment at many top universities, are fueling student housing investment demand. The problem, of course, is that student housing faces the same challenges as other property categories …
SOUTHFIELD, MICH. — Southfield-based commercial real estate firm Farbman Group has launched Campusville, a comprehensive student housing property management, maintenance, development, construction and investment sales platform. The firm says it recognizes the need for innovative solutions to meet the changing demands of university living. Campusville’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for students by offering modern accommodations that foster a sense of community and provide convenient access to campus resources and local amenities.
TUCSON, ARIZ. — CBRE has brokered the sale of The Parker, a 484-bed student housing community located across the street from the University of Arizona’s Fox School of Music in Tucson. Jaclyn Fitts, William Vonderfecht, Casey Schaefer and Jeff Casper of CBRE represented the seller, a partnership between The Dinerstein Cos. and Harrison Street, in the transaction. The buyer was Inland Prime Capital of Oak Brook. Mark Cosenza and Brett Smith of Inland Real Estate Acquisitions internally represented the company. Although the price was not disclosed, Yield Pro reports the property sold for $132.5 million. The community is LEED Silver certified and offers fully furnished units in one- through six-bedroom configurations, with most units offering bed-to-bath parity. Shared amenities include study spaces, a social lounge, fitness center, community kitchen, turfed courtyard with seating, fire pit, corn hole boards and rooftop swimming pool. The property also features retail space, which Chase Bank occupies.
AUBURN, ALA. — Auburn University has broken ground on a $63 million residence hall project along Haley Concourse on the university’s campus in Alabama. The 371-bed community will house first-year students upon completion, which is scheduled for summer 2026. The 125,651-square-foot development will feature amenities including multipurpose communal spaces and kitchens, group study rooms, laundry facilities on every floor and bike storage. The community will also be home to housing department offices and a storm shelter. The development team for the project, which is targeting LEED certification, includes Niles Bolton Associates and Rabren General Contractors.
Joint Venture to Break Ground on 1,316-Bed Student Housing Development Near Florida State University
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — A joint venture between Core Spaces, Peerless Development and an affiliate of Inland Acquisitions has announced plans for Hub Tallahassee, a student housing development located near Florida State University. The development site is located within a qualified opportunity zone near the northeast corner of the university’s campus. Upon completion, the seven-story community will offer 1,316 beds across 367 units in studio, one-, two-, three-, four-, five- and six-bedroom configurations. Completion is scheduled for fall 2026. Amenities at the property will include a rooftop swimming pool, fitness center, spa, private study rooms and adjacent parking. The project team includes Juneau Construction Co. and Niles Bolton Associates. Ian Bradley of TSB Capital Advisors secured construction financing, and Mark Cosenza and David Neboyskey of Inland worked on behalf of the company’s affiliate in the joint venture transaction.
KENNESAW, GA. — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged the sale of The Haven at Kennesaw, a cottage-style student housing community located near the Kennesaw State University (KSU) campus in Kennesaw, roughly 30 miles northwest of Atlanta. Developed in 2018, the property features 148 beds across 32 units in one-, four- and five-bedroom configurations. Amenities include a swimming pool, sundeck and green space. Travis Prince, Victoria Marks, Travis Presnell and Shawn Lubic of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, Henssler Capital LLC, in the transaction. The Preiss Co. acquired the community, which was fully occupied at the time of sale. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.