Blake Management Group will bring a two-story, resort-style senior living community, The Blake, to the Lake View Acres neighborhood in College Station. The $23 million project will be located on Harvey Mitchell Parkway South.

The development will include 117 units, which include 73 licensed assisted living units and 44 memory care units. The community will offer assisted living and specialized memory care services for residents living with Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions. The Blake will offer full hospitality services, including dining, fitness programs, concierge assistance and laundry. 

Construction is expected to be completed in early 2028.

The Blake College Station project marks the company’s fourth development in Texas. Blake operates eight other communities nationwide. Texas locations include Waco, Tyler and New Braunfels.

St. John’s University closed the sale of its Staten Island Campus to Wagner College, ensuring the property’s continued use for higher education and community benefit. The transaction was facilitated by Savills, which represented St. John’s throughout the process.

The project was led by the Savills team of Arthur Mirante and David Carlos, along with Savills corporate managing directors Michael Bertini and Mark Todrys.

“This was a uniquely mission-driven transaction that required a careful balance of financial, institutional, and community considerations,” said Mirante. “We were honored to represent St. John’s and help identify a buyer that shares its educational values and long-term vision for the campus. This is a distinct property, and this has been a special transaction to navigate.”

The sale allows St. John’s to further invest in its core academic programs and facilities across its main campus in Queens and remaining global sites. Wagner College plans to integrate the campus into its institutional footprint.

Seattle Theatre Group, which owns and operates three local historic theaters, has paid $6 million for a 103-year-old Cornish College property.

Seattle Theatre Group bought the landmark Kerry Hall from the Cornish College of the Arts. The building, located at 710 E. Roy St., in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, was built in 1921 and was the home of Nellie Cornish, the college’s founder.

“We are thrilled to be able to turn this special space over to Seattle Theatre Group, one of Seattle’s most respected arts institutions,” said Cornish Interim President Emily Parkhurst. “It was important to the Board of Trustees that the building remain in the arts community and that our founder, Nellie Cornish’s legacy be honored.” 

Seattle Theatre Group, which operates the Paramount, Moore and Neptune Theaters and an outdoor venue at Remlinger Farms in Carnation, will use the building to grow and expand its community-centered arts programming.

Landmark Properties plans to develop The Mark College Park, a new, 2,079-bed student housing community in College Park, MD, adjacent to the University of Maryland. Landmark Construction, the construction arm of Landmark Properties, is the project’s general contractor. Delivery is expected in the fall of 2029.

As planned, The Mark will consist of a two-building development, each rising 10 stories and offering a combined 601 units in a mix of studio to five-bedroom apartments. It would rise on the land occupied by College Park Towers, a 4.53-acre site comprised of two existing condominium buildings. Landmark plans to acquire the condo buildings and land for the development in 2026.

Landmark is committed to the College Park market. In August 2023, The Standard at College Park, its 282-unit, 951-bed residential community on Hartwick Road and Route 1, opened to residents. The property has been fully occupied since opening.

Pictured: The Standard at College Park.

Greystar Real Estate Partners broke ground on a two-building student housing development at Merrimack College. The project, a result of a public-private partnership, is composed of 540 beds on the school’s North Andover, MA campus. The new residence halls represent the largest increase in Merrimack’s on-campus housing stock since 2015. 

Upon completion in Fall 2026, the two four-story residence halls designed by Cube 3 will deliver 540 new beds to Merrimack’s campus. The first residence hall will contain traditional-style student housing, totaling 79,600 square feet and 351 beds. The adjacent 61,300-square-foot residence hall will offer 189 beds through suite-style units. 

“Greystar is proud to support Merrimack College with new on-campus living options for students,” said Gary Kerr, senior managing director of development at Greystar. “For many, communal living is a quintessential aspect of the college experience, and these buildings will offer attractive housing that will foster learning and growth.” 

Dartmouth College has launched a $500-million program to invest in new and renewed undergraduate housing, representing the Ivy League school’s largest campus housing investment in a generation. College president Sian Leah Beilock has pledged to add a combined 1,000 beds for students, faculty and staff over the next 10 years. 

The Hanover, NH college has received the largest gift for undergraduate housing in its history, $30 million from alumni Thomas A. Russo ’77 and Gina T. Russo ’77. The apartment-style residence hall for juniors and seniors being built at 25 W. Wheelock St. will be named Russo Hall in their honor. 

Russo Hall is the first of several planned apartment-style residence halls on West Wheelock Street, near the central campus and the West End campus district. The Russo’ contribution launches a $165-million fundraising campaign to help fund the construction of Dartmouth’s first new undergraduate residences in more than 20 years.

Skanska has been appointed by Virginia Tech to demolish Randolph Hall and construct Mitchell Hall, a new 285,500 square foot facility for the College of Engineering. The five-story building will expand the campus footprint by over 70% and become the largest building on the Blacksburg campus. Mitchell Hall will feature glass, precast concrete, and Hokie Stone cladding, incorporating the existing stability wind tunnel into its design.  

The building will house a 200-person lecture hall, classrooms, offices, and flexible research spaces, supporting the College’s growth and modern learning and research needs. Construction starts in spring 2024 and is expected to be completed in spring 2028. Skanska has done construction projects at Virginia Tech, including the Undergraduate Science Laboratory Building and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Addition. 

In a ranking of the top college towns in the U.S., Bozeman, MT came in at number one, according to a RentCafe study reported by Coldwell Banker Commercial. The ranking was based on 12 different metrics, including cost of living, tuition fees, graduation rates, and others.

“Staying informed about the top college towns of any given year is important for student housing investors,” according to Coldwell Banker Commercial. “These towns serve as hotbeds of academic achievement and vibrant student life, attracting a constant influx of potential tenants seeking quality living spaces. By understanding the dynamics and allure of these prime locations, investors can strategically position themselves to capitalize on the steady demand for student accommodation.”

Home of Montana State University, Bozeman offers a mix of affordability, student activities and nearby parklands, such as Yellowstone National Park. Click here for more on Bozeman and other college towns in the top five.

Boston-based Finegold Alexander Architects has completed the renovation and addition project for Wellesley College’s Severance Hall, a step in the college’s efforts to revitalize its residential portfolio. This project is the first in a series of residence hall renewals.  

Built in 1926, Severance Hall now features 100 student bedrooms accommodating 162 students. The project focused on retiring deferred maintenance, ensuring life safety, and enhancing energy efficiency. It included insulation, interior storm windows, and low-temperature hot water heating. The design also incorporated accessibility improvements and added small gathering spaces, kitchenettes, and technology upgrades.  

“This project exemplifies our commitment to preserving historic structures while meeting contemporary needs for sustainability and accessibility,” said Rebecca Berry, president and director of Sustainability at Finegold Alexander Architects. “We are grateful to have worked collaboratively with Wellesley College and Elaine Construction to breathe new life into Severance Hall.”