LSU’s Nicholson Gateway project—delivered by RISE as the first phase of a long-term public-private partnership with the university and other local firms—has been nationally recognized for “excellence in student housing development, marketing and operations,” taking home the top award in its division at the 10th annual Innovator Awards earlier this week.
The awards ceremony was presented by Student Housing Business magazine on Oct. 19 during the NMHC/InterFace Student Housing virtual conference. More than 100 industry experts judged more than 120 contest entries across 22 categories.
Nicholson Gateway won first place in the on-campus housing division for “Best New Development by a College, University or Institution.” When presenting RISE with the award, Student Housing Business Editor Randy Shearin noted how the project “is one of the largest to materialize in the United States,” with over 1.2 million square feet of mixed-use space.
Adjacent to Tiger Stadium, Nicholson Gateway includes 1,529 apartment beds for upperclassmen and graduate students, 50,000 square feet of market retail, a 10,000-square-foot LSU Rec Wellness Center, and an 800-space parking deck. Phase one also included the delivery of the 424-bed Spruce Hall, designed to accommodate first-year students with semi-suite units and living-learning spaces. Provident Resources served as the borrower for the financing and is the owner of the improvements on the project.
RISE is continuing the multiphase P3 partnership that includes 3,510 beds, more than 1.4 million square feet of housing, 60,000 square feet of retail and auxiliary space, a parking deck and a new campus greenhouse facility.
RISE serves as Nicholson Gateway’s project developer and facility and asset manager. Other team members include: LSU and the LSU Foundation; Niles Bolton Associates, architect; RHH Architects, design consultant; The Lemoine Company, general contractor; RBC Capital Markets, retail broker/operator; Stirling Properties, retail broker/operator; Provident Resources Group Inc.; and a joint venture between Brailsford & Dunlavey and CSRS as program manager.