Reno, Nev. — The University of Nevada, Reno’s new graduate student housing, Ponderosa Village, has opened.
The one- and two-bedroom apartments that provide housing for 224 residents were designed by BLT Architects. All of the new homes are equipped with full-size, energy-efficient appliances, including a dishwasher, refrigerator, stove and washer and dryer. The monthly rent will include the tenant’s high-speed Internet, water, sewer and trash fee.
The project was structured as a public-private partnership that allowed developer Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions to finance and own the complex through a 42-year ground lease from the university. The university is expected to operate and manage the facilities through its residential life, housing and food services group. The project cost was approximately $22 million.
“The village is designed to provide a restful, intimate space predominantly for graduate students,” says Michael L. Prifti, FAIA, managing principal at BLTa. “We were able to design five three-story buildings to create a community of apartments and an on-campus alternative to the market-rate housing available nearby.”