Providence, Rhode Island-based builder Gilbane is developing a four-story, 213,000-square-foot apartment complex on Purdue University’s Fort Wayne, Indiana, campus, as part of a public-private partnership. The project will cost $90 million to $100 million.
Gilbane Building Co. will manage the construction of the project, while the company’s real estate development arm, Gilbane Development Co., is the developer. Portage, Michigan-based AVB is on the team as design-builder, and Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Progressive AE is the architect.
The new development, near Ginsberg Hall on PFW’s North Campus, will offer a variety of housing options, from studios to four-bedroom apartments, with 600 beds across 176 units, per the release. Approximately half of these beds will be reserved for students contracting with the university for housing, while the rest will be available to other area students for direct leasing.
The project will feature a convenience store, fitness center, gaming room, quiet study spaces, lounges and multi-purpose spaces, per the release. Outside, it will contain a hammock farm, green spaces, a sand volleyball court, basketball court, grilling areas and fire pits.
The plans come as Purdue University struggles to accommodate students. The campus’ student housing has been at full capacity for six consecutive fall semesters, with nearly 1,600 students housed at the start of the 2023-24 academic year, an increase of nearly 21% from the previous year.
Preliminary work is slated to begin in October, and Gilbane plans to complete the project before the beginning of the fall 2026 semester.
