The 33-unit Academy Palomar provides off-campus housing in a convenient location between California Polytechnic State University, the Mill Street Historic District, and downtown San Luis Obispo, California.
Completed in August 2019 by developer GMH Capital Partners, the garden-style apartment community touts a balance between luxury, fun, and comfort in a “neighborhood, cottage-style” setting. Features include modern interior finishes, state-of-the-art amenities, and scenic views of the nearby mountains.
The development is comprised of 34,529 square feet of rental space, averaging 1,046 square feet per unit. The units are divided between seven buildings with three different floor plans: studios, four-bedrooms, and five-bedrooms. In-unit amenities include washers and dryers, stainless steel and energy-efficient appliances, 50-inch HDTVs, and wired and wireless internet.
The development involved the adaptive reuse of the Sandford House, home to a former fraternity, which GMH transformed into the leasing office and amenity space. The new design features tall ceilings, a wrap-around porch, and lush greenery around the building to help bring the outdoors inside.
On-site, residents have access to parking, car-charging stations, bike storage, outdoor seating, serenity courtyards, and an outdoor patio with a fire pit and a Bocce ball court. The new clubhouse includes a free coffee bar featuring Starbucks coffee, a Mario Kart DX arcade gaming system in the entertainment lounge, a study hall center with separate study group rooms and free printing, and a 24-hour fitness center.
Management hosts weekly and monthly on-site resident events, such as TV watch parties, game nights, holiday dinners, and complimentary catering events. In addition, The Academy Palomar provides services like roommate matching and flexible, individual leases to make it easier for students to find a suitable place to live.
GMH also saw a demand for affordable housing for young professionals with lower incomes. It worked closely with the Housing Authority of the City of San Luis Obispo to offer four studio apartments with significantly lower rents.
