Minneapolis — The Opus Group has completed the development of three luxury, off-campus student housing projects.
The projects are ArborBLU near the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; District Flats near the University of Missouri in Columbia; and The Foundry near Iowa State University in Ames. Opus Development Company LLC was the developer, Opus Design Build LLC was the design builder and Opus AE Group LLC was the architect and structural engineer of record for all three projects. Minneapolis-based Elness Swenson Graham Architects Inc. was the design architect for The Foundry and District Flats, and J. Bradley Moore & Associates was the design architect for ArborBLU.
All three of the luxury apartments feature amenities including fitness centers, study lounges, club rooms, garage parking, tanning and other shared community spaces. Residents of the new buildings will also have access to in-unit washers and dryers, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and flat-screen televisions in the fullyfurnished apartments.
ArborBLU was built on top of an existing Pizza House restaurant, which stayed open throughout construction. The 13-story student housing complex features 242 beds. In addition to the amenities described, the building also has a rooftop terrace with stadium views and meets LEED Silver certification.
The Foundry is a six-story, multi-use complex with 144 beds and 7,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Retail tenants include Starbucks and Barefoot Campus Outfitter. The building was 100 percent leased prior to opening this fall.
Situated less than a block away from the University of Missouri’s campus, District Flats is also located within walking distance to downtown Columbia’s shopping and entertainment district. The six-story building includes 259 beds. The complex also features a movie theater, game room, and outdoor terrace with fire pits.