Holly Pointe Commons: Residential complex to house 1,400 students

Construction on a new, $145 million, 1,400-bed student housing complex at Rowan University is underway, a move that will provide much-needed housing as the University’s enrollment continues to surge.

Named Holly Pointe Commons, the complex will house underclassmen and will include a four-story building and a seven-story building connected by a bridge. Construction began in the spring and will be complete in fall of 2016.

Through the University’s first-ever public-private partnership to develop on-campus student housing with a private developer, Rowan entered into an agreement to construct the complex with University Student Living of Marlton, the comprehensive campus housing company of The Michaels Organization, and Provident Group-Rowan Properties LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Provident Resources Group, Inc.

The 75-foot-high, 303,000-square-foot complex is set on eight acres at Main and Carpenter streets in Glassboro on the site of the former Mansion Park Apartments.

“Rowan is on a steep trajectory of growth. Clearly, we’re a University in demand,” says Rowan President Ali A. Houshmand, noting that freshman applications for 2015 increased by 20 percent.

The complex keeps the University on pace to provide student housing as enrollment grows to 25,000 by 2023, Houshmand notes. Additionally, Houshmand says, because of its location on the east side of campus adjacent to Rowan Boulevard, the complex will house students who will support businesses along Rowan Boulevard. A $300 million development project that features residential and retail space, Rowan Boulevard connects the University with Glassboro’s historic downtown.

“This public-private partnership is exciting news as we move vigorously in our plan to expand academic programming and increase our enrollment and it is exciting news for the economic development of the Borough of Glassboro,” says Houshmand.

University Student Living will manage the property.  The complex will be owned by Provident for 37 years. It will revert to University ownership at debt retirement.

About Holly Pointe Commons

Designed by Erdy McHenry Architecture of Philadelphia, the complex features a serpentine-shaped footprint and incorporates a new campus commons that will be green space. Rather than using a traditional rectangular grid, perimeter bedrooms of the complex are grouped around central facilities and gathering spaces designed to bring students together.

It includes a two-story, 550-seat, 20,000-square-foot dining hall that will be managed by Gourmet Dining, the University’s food service vendor.

The building’s façade will be constructed of metal facing with large windows throughout. It includes floor to ceiling glass at community lounge areas.

Designed with sustainability incorporated into every detail, Holly Pointe Commons is minimally targeting LEED Silver certification. Torcon, Inc., a family-owned company headquartered in Red Bank and one of the most active firms in the Mid-Atlantic region, is the construction management firm for the project.

Filling a time capsule

University officials joined with students to celebrate the construction by filling a time capsule at the site on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Students wrote nearly 100 letters of hope for the future and have collected items—a Rowan yearbook, a selfie stick, a directory of downtown Glassboro, Hostess Twinkies, and assorted University memorabilia—to fill the time capsule, which will be placed in a prominent location at Holly Pointe Commons.

Fulfilling a vision

“We are honored to be partnering with Rowan University and to assist the institution in fulfilling their vision for student living,” says Joe Coyle, president of University Student Living, which developed Rutgers-Camden’s graduate housing in 2010.

The company has developed student housing nationwide, including communities providing housing for students attending the University of Minnesota, the University of Arkansas, the University of South Alabama, MIT and Baylor University.

“Rowan is our neighbor. It is a school we love and know well,” Coyle adds. “As the University’s demand for freshman housing grows and evolves, we have the ability to respond quickly and the resources to fulfill their needs within a very short period of time.”

Once the new building is complete, Rowan will have 5,332 beds for residential students.

Last spring, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority approved the $145 million bond project for the construction of the residential complex. The bonds were necessary because the building is being constructed on University property. Rowan’s Board of Trustees approved a resolution to enter into the public-private partnership last spring.

Home away from home

Rowan Vice President for Student Life/Dean of Students Richard Jones says the unique design of Holly Pointe Commons will help students develop a strong living and learning community near Rowan Boulevard.

“We need to provide our students with a true home away from home,” says Jones, noting that residential facilities have an impact on academic success and retention. “The design of the complex is dynamic, it’s thoughtful, it’s creative and it represents the future of Rowan University.”

The huge common area at the center of the complex will provide students with a terrific gathering place and a real sense of community, Jones says.

Holly Pointe Commons: What’s in a name?

The name of the complex pays homage to both the University’s past and future. The tradition of naming University residence halls for the state’s native trees dates back to the opening of the first campus dormitory in 1928. The American Holly grew profusely in and around the woods near campus.

The word “Pointe” describes the location of the complex at the eastern tip of campus, a historically busy intersection where the borough’s commercial and residential districts have met for more than 200 years.

“Commons” refers to a public gathering place used jointly by the residents of a community.