Perfect Campus for Student Housing?

Since 2006, the University of Texas San Antonio has increased enrollment nearly 10%. And it's located in one of the fastest-growing major metros in the country. (The only way it could be better for student housing is if the campus universally decided bunk beds were back in style.)

Carter has fallen for its charms; it's developing a 590-bed project. VP Dave Nelson (here with wife Marie and son Micah) tells us besides the impressive enrollment, the university has been moving away from its commuter campus roots and improving its academic standing, while its football team recently joined Conference USA (it's got a fancy new stadium under construction). It's rapidly moving toward Tier One status. Add on the vibrancy of San Antonio as a whole, and Carter couldn't ignore it.

Dave tells us they spread the design to allow for a lot of green space on the site's 16 acres. They even rezoned the site to allow lower density. Its mix of units sets it apart from many other projects: It has flats and townhomes with two-car garages. Carter likes to develop mixed-use, but this time it can rely on its neighborhood. Besides being directly connected to the campus, the community is less than a mile from popular retail projects The Shops at La Cantera and The Rim.

Even though this is a rendering, we appreciate the artist making that one guy too nervous to look at the girl on the edge. It adds verisimilitude. Dave says the project's biggest challenge is also a positive: Carter isn't the only one recognizing UTSA's draw. Two other projects deliver at the same time (summer 2014). Dave says new product is a boon to the campus, helping it market itself as tier one. (Dave says it's a similar story at Ole Miss, where Carter just delivered a project, immediately leased it up, and now has it on the market.) Next in Carter's pipeline: a 520-bed high-rise is under construction in Ann Arbor, Mich. that will deliver in fall 2015.