How do you make four acres of land provide affordable housing for 2,200 students and faculty in not-too-tall buildings on an existing college campus?
That was San Jose State University's request of Niles Bolton Associates, an Atlanta-based architecture firm.
Four years later: Mission accomplished. Campus Village, the $200 million, state-bond-funded project, is set to open this month with 530 units and 2,277 beds.
"This is a significant structure for us, both physically and also as a change in philosophy," says Tony Valenzuela, the university's associate vice president of facilities and operations. "We are changing to more residential students on campus. We have not changed our dorms in 25 years."
Valenzuela says the 28,000-student campus had only 1,900 beds before the project and leveled 700 beds' worth of dorms to create Campus Village.
Design-wise, the architects had to temper the height with eight-story buildings in front of the central 15-story central tower, says project manager Ed Palmer.
Inside, the project is divided up by residents, with freshmen sharing the 76 freshmen suites while upper-class students have their own rooms but share common areas. The project provides individual apartments for faculty.
On the ground, Campus Village offers retail stores, an activity center with Silicon Valley-worthy technology, and two courtyards, one for students and a quieter one for faculty.
"Campus Village is pretty much all leased up," Palmer says. "Even established faculty [are] moving back to campus. I think they like the idea of living on campus in a more pedestrian-friendly environment."
–Erin Massey
Kaplan Cos. is redeveloping the site of the former Helme snuff mill in Highland Park, N.J., into The Village of Helmetta. The $70 million mixed-use community will include 233 units of age-restricted housing, a 3,000-square-foot community center, and 13,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. All existing buildings will be demolished.
M&M Realty Partners and Turnberry Cherry Hill are developing Garden State Park, a large mixed-use community on the 223-acre former Garden State Park Racetrack in Cherry Hill, N.J. The project will include 1,659 for-sale and rental units, 600,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space, and more than 1 million square feet of office space. Approximately 44 acres will be preserved for open space to include a 10-acre recreational park and an extensive system of resident walkways. L&M Design is the masterplan architect for the project.
Tarragon Corp. is developing One Hudson Park, a 168-unit luxury condominium in Edgewater, N.J. One-, two-, and three-bedroom units will feature floor-to-ceiling windows, oak hardwood flooring, washers and dryers, and balconies overlooking the Hudson River and Manhattan skyline. Amenities will include a fitness center with yoga studio, a lounge with a catering kitchen, and a landscaped rooftop deck. The building's feng shui design features natural elements including stone-clad columns and wood-framed architectural highlights. Completion is scheduled for fall 2006.
UrbanWorks Architecture is designing 730 Lofts, a 112-unit loft condominium in downtown Minneapolis being developed by SchaferRichardson. The 10-story structure is the third in a series of loft condos on one city block. The $21.5 million community will target the entry to mid-level homebuyers, offering a range of floor plans and finishes.
CityMark Development broke ground on Aperture, an 86-unit condominium community in San Diego's Little Italy. The units, which range from 775 to 2,217 square feet, will offer expansive city views, large decks, steel GE appliances, and exposed concrete ceilings. The building's sleek urban design features brushed metal and perforated steel, plus an abundance of floor-to-ceiling windows.
Shield & Turner Homes opened Emerald Pointe, a 24-unit townhome complex in Los Angeles' Pacoima community. Units, priced from the mid-$300,000s, were built to provide entry-level housing in Southern California. The three- and four-bedroom units feature light orange-peeled finished walls, recessed lighting, granite slab countertops, and upgraded Frigidaire appliances.
Criterion Property Co. is developing Windsor on the Green, a 191-unit luxury garden-style apartment community in Andover, Mass. Units will feature fireplaces, 9-foot ceilings, balconies, and open floor plans with bar top seating. Amenities will include a 2,750-square-foot community center with a pool, spa, sports court, and playground. This development marks the company's second investment in the Boston-area market.
Peek-Howe Real Estate broke ground on The Reserve at Saratoga, a 274-unit apartment complex in Corpus Christi, Texas. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom units will feature 9-foot ceilings, crown molding, and ceiling fans. Amenities will include a clubhouse with a fitness center, indoor basketball court, and pool and spa. The project will be completed in June 2006.
The Clarett Group is developing Place 57, a 67-unit luxury condominium project in Manhattan. The 36-story glass and steel-clad building, designed by Ismael Leyva, will feature a chic lobby with Baccarat crystal lighting and an outdoor garden complete with chandeliers. Units will offer Brazilian walnut strip flooring, 9- to 12-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and Viking stainless steel appliances. The community is within walking distance of Central Park.
The Olson Co. broke ground on SOCO Walk, a transit-oriented village in Fullerton, Calif., to include 120 lofts, live-work units, and townhomes. The community is adjacent to the Fullerton Transportation Center, which services more than 350,000 passengers a year. An existing overhead bridge will provide a connector between the train station and the community. City officials say the project will help rejuvenate one of the city's older neighborhoods.
Simpson Housing Solutions opened The Lofts at the Security Building, a loft conversion project in downtown Los Angeles. The former bank building now houses 153 loft-style rental units with a mix of retail business on the ground floor. Many of the building's original design features remain, including marble floors and staircases, 12- to 13-foot ceilings, and large windows. Twenty percent of the lofts will be set aside as affordable units. This is the developer's first large-scale urban infill redevelopment project.
BAP Development launched sales for Tower II of Opera Place, a condominium project in West Palm Beach, Fla. Tower II will offer 268 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Prices range from the $200,000s to $2 million-plus. Both towers will share a fitness center with spinning and yoga rooms, a pool with cabanas, a sunset garden, and a 30-seat movie theater. The ground floor will feature a 340-seat cultural facility housing the Florida Stage Theater.
David Meunier is developing The Bellagio, a Mediterranean-Deco style building in Miami's Biscayne corridor being converted into 15 condos. Designed for the first-time homebuyer, prices range from $99,000 to $160,000. One- and two-story units will feature stainless steel kitchens, wood and marble floors, and bathrooms with porcelain fixtures and glass block.
–Listings compiled by Rachel Z. Azoff