$100M student housing complex planned for Purdue Fort Wayne
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FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Purdue University Fort Wayne on Monday announced plans for a nearly $100 million apartment complex on the university’s North Campus.
The project is part of a public-private partnership with construction and real estate development company Gilbane.
The four-story, 213,000-square-foot complex will be located near Ginsberg Hall and will have about 176 units—ranging from studio to four-bedroom apartments—accounting for about 600 beds.
Nearly half of the beds will be reserved for students contracting with Purdue Fort Wayne for housing, the university said in a news release. The remaining beds will be available to students who lease directly with the complex.
Purdue Fort Wayne said student housing has been at full capacity for six consecutive fall semesters. At the start of the 2023-24 academic year, the university had 1,599 students move into student housing, up 21% over the previous year.
“The dynamics of the Purdue Fort Wayne campus have changed dramatically during the past few years,” Chancellor Ron Elsenbaumer said in the release. “The university is focused on bringing more people to the area to help fill the employee pipeline. Student housing is a necessary component of that strategy. Having sufficient on-campus housing to meet the growing demand is also critical to our ability to create the residential campus environment our students and their families have come to expect.”
Plans for the complex include indoor amenities, including a convenience store, fitness center, gaming room, quiet study space, and multi-purpose spaces. It will also feature outdoor amenities such as green space, a sand volleyball court, and grilling areas.
The university said financing for the complex will be secured by a private not-for-profit foundation that was created specifically for the project.
Preliminary work is expected to begin in October and be complete by the start of the fall 2026 semester.
The project team includes Gilbane Development Company as developer, Gilbane Building Company as construction manager, AVB as design-builder, and Progressive AE as architect.