Balfour Beatty today announced a partnership with the University of Florida (UF) to deliver a major student housing redevelopment project in Gainesville. As part of the UF’s Housing & Residence Life 10-year capital plan, the project redevelops the existing Trusler, Simpson and Graham Hall sites into modern residential communities designed to enhance the student living experience and strengthen the long-term campus growth.
Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions will serve as developer of the new student housing campus, while Balfour Beatty’s U.S. Buildings operations will lead design-build delivery in a 65:35 joint venture with Stellar Group. The integrated team also includes architecture firms Clark Nexsen and Walker Architects with Rieth Jones Advisors serving as advisor to the university.
The multi-phase development will deliver 2,217 beds across four residential buildings, totalling more than 680,000 square feet. The student housing communities will also include a range of amenities and support spaces intended to foster student engagement, accessibility and academic success, including:
- Café and Amazon Market
- Disability Resource Center serving university students
- Package Distribution Center for on-campus residents
- Multipurpose event space
- Study and collaboration spaces
- Social gathering areas
- Floor-level laundry rooms and shared kitchens
Additionally, the project features an approximately 18,000-square-foot Disability Resource Center, centralising support services for more than 8,000 students. This facility reinforces UF’s longstanding investment and commitment to accessibility as well as enhancing its ability to support a growing and varied student population.
Jeffrey Tate, vice president, Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions said: “This development represents an exciting opportunity to partner with the University of Florida in delivering a transformational residential experience for students.
"The project reflects a shared commitment to creating modern, vibrant living-learning environments that support student success and strengthen the campus community for years to come.”
John Harris, executive vice president of Balfour Beatty US Buildings operations in Florida said: “Our company’s ability to bring a vertically integrated developer and design-builder approach provides a unique advantage for partners like the University of Florida.
“From the outset, we’ve worked collaboratively to align project goals with real-time solutions that meet the university’s operational needs, such as schedule and budget, while also delivering modern, high-quality living environments that support the university’s vision for the student experience.”
Mori Hosseini, UF Board of Trustees chair said: “This is Phase 1 of our plan to add 10,000 new beds during the next 10 years, an exciting $2 billion-plus initiative envisioned by the UF Board of Trustees.
“This project is critical to providing only the best facilities for our student body and keeping UF competitive in our ongoing push to attract and retain the best and brightest.”
Construction of UF’s newest student housing community is underway. Two residential buildings are scheduled for completion in Fall 2028, with the remaining two expected to open in late Fall 2028.
ENDS
About Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions
Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions, LLC provides development, asset/property management, and other real estate services to higher education with a focus on public-private partnerships that underpin the strategic vision of an institution. The company offers public-private partnership (P3) solutions for funding and delivery of capital plans, including residential, academic, administrative, and faculty offices, research, athletic/recreation, student centres, dining, parking, and infrastructure.
Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions is part of Balfour Beatty Investments, a global company focused on financing and operating the vital assets that enable societies and economies to grow: roads and railways, health and education facilities, power and water systems, places to live, and places to work—the infrastructure that underpins progress. Balfour Beatty Investments is a division of Balfour Beatty plc, a UK-based international infrastructure group operating in construction services, support services, and infrastructure investments.
About Balfour Beatty US
Balfour Beatty is a leading international infrastructure group with 27,000 employees driving the delivery of powerful new solutions, shaping thinking, creating skylines and inspiring a new generation of talent to be the change-makers of tomorrow.
For over 100 years, we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world. Currently, we are working to deliver Hinkley Point C, the first UK nuclear power station in a generation; constructing the world-class arts and cultural facility, the Lyric Theatre, in Hong Kong; and designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining the Automated People Mover superstructure at the fifth busiest airport in the world, Los Angeles International Airport.
In the US, Balfour Beatty is an industry-leading provider of general contracting, at-risk construction management and design-build services for public and private sector clients across the United States. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company performs heavy civil, rail and a broad variety of vertical construction in select local geographies. Balfour Beatty US is ranked among the top domestic building contractors in the United States by Engineering News-Record. To learn more, visit www.balfourbeattyus.com.
