Memphis, Tenn.-based EdR, which will manage the facility upon completion in summer 2018, will own 80 percent of the community, while New York-based Park7 Group, in charge of development, will own 20 percent. Dallas-headquartered Humphreys & Partners is serving as the architect on the project.

The $106 million development is being built on what was once a parking lot, located one block north of both the Pitt and CMU campuses. A rendering of the project shows trees lining the 17-story building, which is anchored by a massive windowed lobby. It will house 723 beds in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations, which will feature in-unit washers and dryers and granite countertops. Access to Wi-Fi throughout the building will also help serve today’s student population. A 381-space parking structure and 10,000 square feet of retail space will round out the development.

As an urban high-rise, the building is designed to provide private spaces as well as other features that create a sense of community for the student population. “Its bed-bath parity paired with communal spaces within the community gives students privacy where they want it, along with places where they can study or socialize,” said Scott Barton, EdR’s vice president of acquisition and development for the project.

An indoor-outdoor lounge located on the roof and an amenity deck with a pool, fire pit and grills, for instance, will provide space for students to socialize in this urban setting, according to Barton. A state-of-the-art fitness center will also be available.

Located in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, the new facility will join other student-housing facilities that make up a large part of the community. “As student-housing markets have evolved, part of the design challenge on projects like this is to give the building a modern look and feel, but also help it mesh with the neighborhood it’s in,” Barton said.

The construction of the student-housing community, which has been in the pipeline for almost three years, will help fill a housing void at this particular end of the campus, especially as enrollment continues to grow at both schools. “The purpose of the project is to provide high-quality student housing in an area near both the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University campuses, which have very little purpose-built student housing,” Barton said.

In 2015, Pitt had nearly 29,000 students enrolled and is currently ranked as the No. 24 public university in the country per U.S. News and World Report’s 2016 rankings. CMU was ranked No. 23 in the U.S. News and World Report’s latest rankings and has a total enrollment of 13,650 students.

The post Student-Housing Project to Fill Void for Pittsburgh Universities appeared first on School Construction News.

When complete, the new housing facilities will feature classrooms, study rooms, TV lounges and laundry facilities in a addition to student living spaces. A large patio area, fireplaces and lobbies will accommodate art shows, student events, university functions and various types of entertainment for residents year round, according to a statement by EdR of Memphis, Tenn., the project’s developer.

EdR will complete the project via a private-public partnership with the university. The firm was chosen through a competitive selection process to execute all aspects — including development, financing, construction and management — of the project, which will be the largest in the university’s history, according to a statement by the firm. Upon completion, EdR will operate the residence halls under a 75-year lease with NMU and will manage the facility while NMU will provide residence life services. EdR will finance the approximately $80 million housing development through its ONE Plan, which uses the company’s equity and financial stability to fund projects on university land, according to a statement by the firm.

"I think the enhanced on-campus housing is an incredibly positive, transformative opportunity for [NMU]," said NMU President Fritz Erickson in a statement. "It is going to allow us to greatly strengthen our capabilities to recruit and retain students in today’s highly competitive education environment, enrich student life and address a very serious facilities and maintenance issue."

"University leadership has made it clear that increased recruitment, enrollment and retention of top-level students is a priority at Northern Michigan University," said Tom Trubiana, EdR president, in a statement. "Partnering with NMU provides EdR the opportunity to deliver another on-campus housing community that gives the university both a state-of-the-art home for many of its students and a recruiting tool that will compete with any in the nation."

EdR selected Detroit-based Walbridge to manage construction of the six new residence hall buildings, which were designed by Neumann/Smith Architecture with offices in Detroit and Southfield, Mich. Neumann/Smith is also responsible for the redesign of the campus’ John X. Jamrich Hall — formerly a general use classroom building — into a high-tech, flexible, active learning environment that anticipates LEED BD+C certification.

The post Northern Michigan University to Add 1,200 Beds by 2018 appeared first on School Construction News.