SAN ANTONIO │ UTSA Development and Construction Thread
 

San Antonio—Johnson Capital announces that Ron Davis, senior vice president in the firm’s Dallas office has arranged $18.64 million in joint venture equity financing for the construction of two new student housing developments located in San Antonio and Akron, Ohio. The developer is The NRP Group LLC (NRP), which recently commenced construction on the two projects with scheduled completion prior to the fall 2014 semester.

The San Antonio complex is called The Luxx. It will contain 212 units with 668 beds and cost $32 million to build. The 15.12-acre site is just east of the main University of Texas, San Antonio campus on the north side of UTSA Boulevard.

In Akron, NRP is building The Depot, a $37 million project that will contain 192 units containing 624 beds. The 3.3-acre site is located on the southwest boundary of the main University of Akron campus and is on the shuttle system.

Commenting on this transaction, Davis says, “These two transactions speak to our ability to bring together a top-five national multifamily developer with a private equity group to facilitate the development of top-tier assets. It is an example of the type of opportunities where we can add value for our development and capital clients.”

The equity capital was provided by a corporate investor that is looking to grow its portfolio.

DALLAS, May 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Fountain Residential Partners has broken ground on three new student developments comprising almost 1,400 beds of housing. The "campus-adjacent" projects will serve The University of Texas – San Antonio, The University of Houston main campus, and The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, and will begin leasing in the coming months for a Fall 2014 occupancy.

Fountain has become one of the most active student housing developers in the country having commenced construction on or completed almost 2,400 beds of new housing in seven walk-to-campus locations. The company recently received the Student Housing Business award for Best New Development (under 200 beds) in the nation for its industry leading design and execution.

The latest project, Prado, is located directly across the street from the UT - San Antonio campus on UTSA Boulevard and directly adjacent to The Block, a new food truck court experience and patio bar. Prado was designed with Spanish-inspired architecture and will accommodate 498 students and a 6,000 square foot restaurant fronting UTSA Boulevard. The 4 and 5 story development will provide excellent views of campus and offer unit and community amenities not present in the marketplace today. Executive Vice President Jon Clayton says, "We have been following this site, at one of the main entrances to campus, for several years. There simply is not a better location in the marketplace and we feel fortunate to be able to transform the property into a mixed-use community that the neighborhood, students, and the university will be proud of. It will definitely raise the bar for student housing at UTSA and matches the master plan vision for the future of UTSA Boulevard."

Raising the bar involves designs that provide students with best-in-class amenities with condo-like finishes such as keyless entry, open floor plans, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, wood look flooring, 50" flat screen TV's with DVR's, European influenced furnishing, high end lighting, and wifi throughout. Prado's 10,000 square foot, two-level amenity center will provide for the fitness, study, and creature comforts of the student with the design elements of a high end hotel or spa. With the incorporation of a ground floor restaurant, Prado will provide the UTSA community with their first true mixed-use living environment.

The luxx lot has been under construction for what seems like 2 years now. I drive by it every day. It's definitely a pretty big site

It was announced a few months ago though. :shrug:

LINK

Wow Lots of development around UTSA area.

Yeah, it definitely is. I drove by today and it's a very noticeable set of buildings. You can see it clearly from across I-10.

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...76827739_n.jpg

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...73734402_n.jpg

The Prado is also moving along nicely and UTSA is wrapping up what looks like their last new building for the time being. The Main Campus has changed a lot.

I didn't have time to get out of the car today, so please excuse the glare and bad angles.

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...78358468_n.jpg

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New rendering for The Prado student housing development currently under construction across from UTSA's Main Campus on the far northwest side.



The Prado is one of three large student housing developments under construction at the UTSA main campus.

The other two being:

• The Luxx
  
• Tetro

They're building a Taco Cabana and a Pollo Tropical (a caribbean-esque fast food place that will be, I think, new to the S.A. market) at Chase Hill and 1604 behind the convenience store.

rode past the luxx and prado today on a bike ride. Prado's shell is pretty much complete with the 6 story concrete section and the wooden frame of the 4 story section pretty much done. Looks like they just started construction of the parking garage.

The luxx looks as if it's pretty close to being done. I took some pictures and will UL them tommorow.

What do you all think about merging UTSA with UT HSC San Antonio? The UT System studied and rejected it in 2010 but now two prominent San Antonio officials want to revive the idea.

Here is their editorial in MySanAntonio.com: http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/...e-10425804.php

Their main argument is that it would create a Tier 1 research university in San Antonio, prestige that would make the new university more competitive in attracting, faculty, students, and grants. I agree that there is a certain cache that comes with having a high ranking in US News and World Report, ARWU, Times, and other ranking systems that are highly correlated with publications.

I really think they should. I don't know enough about the politics of it all. But today there doesn't seem to be a reason not to.

UTSA set to break ground on $95 million science and engineering building
 

From the San Antonio Business Journal

The University of Texas at San Antonio will break ground Friday on a new science and engineering building that will be the largest construction project in the university’s history.

The project carries a $95 million price tag and will include additional laboratories, classrooms and meeting spaces for UTSA students and researchers focused on brain health, chemical engineering, biology and chemistry – all key research areas for UTSA’s advancement toward tier one research status

Saw a nice towe crane out at the main campus...guessing it is for this building?

Yes, the crane is for the new science building, but the project has been moving kind of slow.

https://www.bizjournals.com/sananton...s-for-new.html
https://i.imgur.com/CuwaUJR.jpg