AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst is proceeding to solicit proposals from private developers to construct new undergraduate and graduate housing and student family housing.
The UMass Building Authority, working in conjunction with the campus, has hired a leading commercial real estate advisory firm, Newmark Knight Frank, to manage the competitive procurement process. This public private partnership (P3) procurement is based on a model previously used by the UMass Building Authority, and the expertise of its consultants, to create the best results possible for the UMass Amherst campus and its students.
Newmark Knight Frank began the process earlier this month with distribution of a summary project brochure to prospective developers. The company will identify qualified developers interested in the project and then solicit final proposals from the most qualified and interested developers, with a goal of selecting a developer this spring. Construction is projected to begin in fall 2020.
The Amherst campus proposals are being sought from developers to provide high-quality, affordable student family residences and to meet a need for undergraduate and graduate student housing. The development of approximately 1,200 beds is projected to open beginning in fall 2022 and will have two distinct components:
- Replacement of student family housing units in North Village originally constructed as temporary modular housing in 1971 and have far outlived their projected 20-to-25-year life expectancy.
- Construction of modern, apartment-style housing for undergraduate and graduate students along Massachusetts Avenue, including replacing Lincoln Apartments originally built in 1958.
Site development for both projects will include razing existing facilities: Lincoln Apartments off Massachusetts Avenue and North Village Apartments in North Amherst. To facilitate the transition for residents, the University established a North Village and Lincoln Apartments Advisory Committee to serve as a central point for sharing information and securing feedback from staff, graduate students and undergraduate students. The campus is working to provide alternative housing for North Village residents and is coordinating with the Graduate Student Senate on ways to assist Lincoln Apartment residents who need assistance with housing for next academic year.