Eastern Michigan University (EMU), in Ypsilanti, Mich., recently selected Gilbane as a development and builder partner to lead a three-year campus housing initiative that will build two new residence halls, renovate existing campus housing, and demolish outdated buildings.
EMU and Gilbane Development Company have agreed to invest more than $200 million to expand campus housing with the construction of Lakeview Apartments, a 400-bed residence hall adjacent to the school’s Student Center; and Westview Apartments, a 300-bed residence hall that will serve as a gateway between EMU’s west and main campuses.
The University is also investing in the renovation of 2,025 existing beds with improvements that include new air conditioning, new finishes in bathroom areas, and the installation of life-safety technology. Shared amenities spaces and upgrades will facilitate social interaction among residents.
This equity initiative, known as the “Welcome Home 2025” plan, represents an acceleration of infrastructure and facilities investment that has been underway at EMU for several years. “It is now time to turn our attention to a leading student mandate—to revitalize University housing to meet the needs of today’s students,” said EMU’s President James Smith, in a prepared statement.
BENIGN NEGLECT IN HOUSING STOCK
The goals of this plan are to keep student housing affordable, to ensure a high-quality resident life experience, and to get students engaged in the design process. In 2018, the University retained Rieth Jones Advisors to coordinate the Master Plan process, which included surveying students about their interests and demands. In April 2019, the University’s student government approved a resolution that noted the majority of on-campus housing hadn’t been renovated in over 50 years. Last July, the University sent RFPs for the housing construction and renovation to four firms, and its Board of Regents approved the partnership with Gilbane Development Company last December 9.
The project team includes a design-build joint venture between Gilbane Building Company and Clark Construction, with Mackey Mitchell Architects as the project’s AOR and Moody Nolan as associate design architect. Gilbane Development Company is the developer and financing coordinator for the project whose construction is scheduled to begin next fall and be completed by the fall of 2025.
This team has collectively worked on 55 student housing projects that delivered over 60,000 beds during the last 30 years.
BOND FINANCING
However, the University is emphatic that it is not interested in privatizing its student housing. “EMU will continue to own all on-campus student housing facilities,” it states on its website. “EMU will also continue to operate all aspects of the residence life operation, including hiring/supervising RAs, processing housing applications and assigning rooms, collecting payments from students, and managing compliance with housing agreements.”
To pay for this project, the University entered into a ground lease agreement with a 501(c)3 tax-exempt entity that will issue tax-exempt bonds underwritten by Barclays. The nonprofit entity is responsible for servicing the debt. Gilbane and Clark will receive $200-plus million for construction activity, plus $135 million for renovations over the term of the agreement, as well as a property management fee to maintain the facilities.
Related Stories
| Nov 13, 2013
Installed capacity of geothermal heat pumps to grow by 150% by 2020, says study
The worldwide installed capacity of GHP systems will reach 127.4 gigawatts-thermal over the next seven years, growth of nearly 150%, according to a recent report from Navigant Research.
| Oct 30, 2013
15 stellar historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovation projects
The winners of the 2013 Reconstruction Awards showcase the best work of distinguished Building Teams, encompassing historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovations and additions.
| Oct 30, 2013
11 hot BIM/VDC topics for 2013
If you like to geek out on building information modeling and virtual design and construction, you should enjoy this overview of the top BIM/VDC topics.
| Oct 18, 2013
Researchers discover tension-fusing properties of metal
When a group of MIT researchers recently discovered that stress can cause metal alloy to fuse rather than break apart, they assumed it must be a mistake. It wasn't. The surprising finding could lead to self-healing materials that repair early damage before it has a chance to spread.
| Oct 8, 2013
Toronto Maple Leafs arena converted to university recreation facility
Using steel reinforcement and massive box trusses, a Building Team methodically inserts four new floors in the landmark arena while preserving and restoring its historic exterior.
| Oct 7, 2013
10 award-winning metal building projects
The FDNY Fireboat Firehouse in New York and the Cirrus Logic Building in Austin, Texas, are among nine projects named winners of the 2013 Chairman’s Award by the Metal Construction Association for outstanding design and construction.
| Oct 1, 2013
13 structural steel buildings that dazzle
The Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., are among projects named 2013 IDEAS2 winners by the American Institute of Steel Construction.
| Sep 24, 2013
8 grand green roofs (and walls)
A dramatic interior green wall at Drexel University and a massive, 4.4-acre vegetated roof at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City are among the projects honored in the 2013 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence.
| Sep 19, 2013
What we can learn from the world’s greenest buildings
Renowned green building author, Jerry Yudelson, offers five valuable lessons for designers, contractors, and building owners, based on a study of 55 high-performance projects from around the world.
| Sep 19, 2013
6 emerging energy-management glazing technologies
Phase-change materials, electrochromic glass, and building-integrated PVs are among the breakthrough glazing technologies that are taking energy performance to a new level.
