Gilbane Announces Public-Private Partnership with Purdue University Fort Wayne to Develop 600-Bed Student Housing Community

FORT WAYNE, IN (June 4, 2024) Gilbane is proud to announce its partnership with Purdue University Fort Wayne (“PFW”) to address the university’s need for expanded student housing through a transformative public-private partnership.

This collaboration will result in a four-story, 213,000-square-foot apartment complex near Ginsberg Hall on PFW’s North Campus, located just east of St. Joe Road. The new development will offer a variety of housing options, from studios to four-bedroom units, totaling 600 beds across 176 units. 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.

Preliminary work on this $90-$100 million project is slated to begin in October, with completion targeted for the fall 2026 semester. Financing will be secured through a private nonprofit foundation created specifically for this initiative.

“The dynamics of the Purdue Fort Wayne campus have changed dramatically during the past few years,” said Chancellor Ron Elsenbaumer. “The university is focused on bringing more people to the area to help fill the employee pipeline. Student housing is an essential component of that strategy.”

PFW’s 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.

“Having sufficient on-campus housing to meet the growing demand is also critical to our ability to create the residential campus environment our students and their families have come to expect,” Elsenbaumer continued. “The correlation between the sustainability of increased enrollment and longer-term solutions to address the needs of current and prospective students wishing to live on campus continues to be an integral part of PFW’s strategic planning.”

The new complex will feature a variety of indoor amenities, including a convenience store, fitness center, gaming room, quiet study spaces, lounges, reception area, leasing office, and multi-purpose spaces. Outdoor amenities will include a hammock farm, green spaces, a sand volleyball court, basketball court, grilling areas, and fire pits. These features are designed to promote student health and wellness throughout their time at PFW.

“We are excited to join Purdue University Fort Wayne for this transformative partnership that will help provide this much-needed new housing inventory,” said Geoff Eisenacher, Vice President of Gilbane Development Company. “Our team is dedicated to delivering a new residential community that not only meets the university’s goals but also creates a vibrant and modern residential experience for PFW and its students.”

“Gilbane Building Company looks forward to a continued strong partnership with Purdue that will deliver new housing for Purdue University Fort Wayne’s thriving residential campus,” said Lynn Rogien, Vice President and Business Leader, Gilbane Building Company. “Our ‘One Company’ approach creates high-quality student housing, complete with the desired amenities expected by today’s students. This project will incorporate high performance and sustainability as core focus, maximizing design and construction quality, waste reduction, realizing energy savings, and water conservation methods.”

In addition to enhancing the student living experience, the project emphasizes sustainability, incorporating energy-efficient appliances, lighting, water conservation measures, native landscaping, stormwater treatment, and construction waste management strategies. These initiatives align with Gilbane’s commitment to creating healthy, efficient, and cost-saving green buildings for PFW.

The complex, designed to have minimal impact on the surrounding neighborhood, will include a generous public drop-off area for campus shuttles and rideshares, as well as strategic parking placement with over 450 spaces to complement multiple pedestrian connections.

The project team includes Gilbane Development Company as developer, Gilbane Building Company as construction manager, AVB as design-builder, and Progressive AE as architect.

About Gilbane

Gilbane, Inc., a private holding company with a more than 150-year history, is one of the oldest and largest family-owned construction, investment, and real estate development firms in the world. Gilbane Development Company is the project development, financing, and ownership arm of Gilbane, providing a full slate of real estate development and property management services. Gilbane Building Company is a full-service construction services firm providing preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, and design-build services on some of the nation’s most complex projects.

Gilbane’s public-private partnership team has delivered or has underway more than $4 billion in P3 projects for healthcare, higher education, K-12 schools, and federal/state/municipal clients. To learn more, visit gilbaneco.com.