The company is developing a live-learn community at Northern Illinois University and on-campus apartments at Illinois State University.
DeKalb and Normal, Ill. — American Campus Communities (ACC) has started construction for student housing projects at two Illinois universities. Both projects will be located on their respective campuses and are being developed as public-private partnerships with the schools.
ACC will construct a 1,008-bed live-learn community at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. The $132 million community will consist of two five-story buildings and a central 32,839-square-foot community center, which will contain a 500-seat dining hall, a fitness center, a social lounge, residence life facilities, meeting spaces and a conference room. Outdoor amenities will include sand volleyball, basketball and beanbag courts; green spaces with picnic tables, patios and benches; and 80 bicycle parking spaces.
The company is also building a $59.6 million apartment-style community on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal. Cardinal Court Apartments will consist of 228 fully-furnished apartments in two, three- and four-bedroom configurations. Units will feature private and shared accommodations. Amenities include a 16,400-square-foot community center that will contain a fitness center with an indoor basketball court, a theater, meeting/study rooms, a café and a social lounge. Outdoor amenities include sand volleyball and basketball courts.
Both projects are being financed and will be owned by the non-profit Collegiate Housing Foundation, which will ground-lease the sites from the universities for 40-year terms. ACC is serving as developer and construction manager.
— Coleman Wood