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http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburg...roved-for.html

New 13-story apartment building approved for Oakland

Jun 17, 2015, 7:53am EDT

The Pittsburgh Planning Commission voted to approve a plan by Austin, Texas-based Campus Advantage to build a 13-story apartment building on Forbes Avenue in Oakland.

Campus Advantage, working with Desmone Architects, sought a height variance for what’s designed to be a 140-foot structure, above the permitted 102-foot use, in a development slated to include 138 units and 295 beds in a one-price multifamily product targeted to college students.

The new apartment project is to be built at 3407 Forbes Ave., a block away from where the 389-unit Skyvue multifamily project is already under construction.

The Campus Advantage project is targeted to college students, offering an all-in price of about $1,000 per resident that includes cable service and utilities in apartments that are fully furnished.

“This entire building is very supportive of student life,” said Jen Bee, an architect for Desmone who presented the project to the Planning Commission. “It’s really going to drive students onto Forbes Avenue.”

Oakland Planning & Development, a community nonprofit, voiced its support of the Campus Advantage project, touting its location as a site the Oakland 2025 master plan recommended for high-density multifamily development.

Ronnie Macejewski, a senior vice president for Campus Advantage, said the company's meetings with the neighborhood’s various community projects helped.

“It’s a better project because of the involvement of the neighborhood groups,” he said.

He said there's pent-up demand in the neighborhood.

“This is a very, very urban area,” he said of Oakland.

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