In just over two years, the University of North Florida will have another on-campus housing option for students.
To accommodate UNF’s growing enrollment and additional debt, the university is partnering with local real-estate developer Chance Partners to build 250 apartments on university-owned land just south of The Flats, UNF’s other apartment-style housing option. The development will have approximately 700 bed spaces, according to UNF Vice President of Administration and Finance Scott Bennett.
However, this project won’t be a part of UNF’s housing system. Since the university is taking on debt from its current Honors dorm project, the University chose to lease the land, according to Bennett.
“At some point you kind of have to make a financial decision of whether we can take on additional debt right now,” said Bennett “We know we can’t take on additional debt right now.”
Bennett said this upcoming housing development, set to begin construction this fall, isn’t about making money. Instead, he said it’s about getting more on-campus bed space so UNF can fulfill its strategic plan.
“As we grow, we’re going to have more demand than we can satisfy here pretty soon,” Bennett said. “So we thought this was a great compromise that lets someone else provide the apartment space for our students and we can help meet the demand.”
Why is UNF adding apartments instead of traditional dorms?
With the Honors Residence Hall opening this fall, Bennett said UNF wanted to add more upperclassmen housing options. According to Bennett, upperclassmen wanted more apartment style options near campus.
Because the new apartments will be further away from the main campus food options, Bennett said students expect a full kitchen in their space.
While freshmen won’t be restricted from these apartments, Bennett said this project was designed for upperclassmen.
“It’s going to be an option for those sophomores, juniors and seniors that want to be as close to campus as they can without actually being in housing,” Bennett said.
Third-year UNF student Jordan Tran favors apartment-style housing because they believe it provides “a great balance of independence and convenience.”
“Not only does it provide more amenities of an apartment-style living, but it also lays close to campus resources,” Tran said. “I think it also promotes post-grad life and can even help with overall life skills like cooking, cleaning and management of your very own living space”
Nonetheless, senior Lyla Torres said she’d rather have traditional housing, believing it has more space.
What makes this housing project different?
Bennett said students won’t be submitting traditional housing contracts to live in the new apartments. Nonetheless, Bennett said UNF will likely put leasing information on its website.
Overall, Bennett said the apartments are going to be “really nice.”
“It’s going to have a lot of amenities for them,” Bennett said. “I think it’s going to be a really good addition, especially for upperclassmen.”
Some of the amenities, according to Bennett, include a dog park and a walking trail. Bennett said UNF doesn’t control pricing for these apartments, but expects them to be cheaper than other off-campus, local apartments.
After permitting is done, which Bennett said should be in September, ground is expected to be broken and construction completed by fall 2027. The ordinance was approved in April by the Jacksonville City Council.
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