Students could have another apartment complex to choose from come Summer 2020.
Campus Advantage, a Texas-based student housing management company, submitted plans to the city to build a four-story apartment complex with an accompanying five-story parking garage at 1900 SW 13th St., said Michael Orsak, senior vice president of Campus Advantage. Americas Best Value Inn currently sits at that address, but the owners have already agreed to sell Campus Advantage the property if the plan is approved.
“We like this side in particular because it’s very close to the medical school of UF and the hospital,” he said.
The complex will be built in a figure-eight shape and have 618 bedrooms. More than 50 percent of the units will be studios, one-bedroom or two-bedroom, which will target medical students, hospital staff and interns, he said. They will also offer three- to six-bedroom apartments.
Campus Advantage will settle rent prices after the total cost of construction has been accounted for, Orsak said. Rent prices will be competitive with other newer complexes like The Nine at Gainesville and The Standard at Gainesville.
Amenities are still being discussed, but there will be a pool and at least eight study rooms. The company is considering including a courtyard with permanent hammocks hung up, grills and benches, he said. Campus Advantage has allocated more than 12,000 square feet of space for amenities.
Orsak said the city could take up to nine weeks to approve the plan, but Campus Advantage intends to begin construction Oct. 1.
“We’re looking forward to developing and owning and managing our own property in the marketplace,” he said.
Contact Jessica Giles at jgiles@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter at @jessica_giles_.
Campus Advantage, a Texas-based student housing management company, submitted plans to the city to build a four-story apartment complex with an accompanying five-story parking garage at 1900 SW 13th St.
