Washington State University makes deal for student housing in Richland

A developer with more than 2,000 apartment units serving students at Washington State University’s Pullman campus will develop a $60 million, 713-bed student residence at the WSU Tri-Cities campus in Richland.

WSU Tri-Cities has signed a long-term deal to lease 15 acres to Pullman-based Corporate Pointe Developers LLC, a privately owned firm that operates properties in Washington and Idaho.

The deal was announced Wednesday during a visit by the university's new president, Kirk H. Schulz.

The addition of student housing is a “great step” that will help WSU Tri-Cities draw students who want to live on campus, Schulz said.

“All the sudden, it has a very different feel,” he said in a meeting with the Tri-City Herald editorial board.

About 40 percent of the school’s students start as first-time freshmen, a number that is rising.

Corporate Pointe will break ground as quickly as possible on the first phase of the project, which is tentatively named The Vineyard on Campus. It will own the property under a limited liability subsidiary.

The project will be built in seven phases, with the first 165 beds set to open to students by fall 2017, said Kerri Jo Staniszewski, Corporate Pointe’s director of operations. The final phase could add retail space for a pharmacy, coffee shop or other amenity.

WSU Tri-Cities students will have first priority for rentals. Rents will be priced similar to other campus housing.

When complete, The Vineyard on Campus will offer 335 units with a mix of one- to four-bedroom units. There will be four-bedroom townhomes, with some units configured to accommodate families and couples.

Each unit will have a full kitchen and en suite bathrooms. No cafeteria or food service is planned.

The project will be privately financed and cost between $8 million and $9 million per phase, said K. Duane Brelsford, president and managing member of Corporate Pointe.

Brelsford is a native of Pullman, a WSU graduate and dedicated Cougar alum. His family has given money to the school. The WSU Visitor Center is named in its honor.

Brelsford wanted to help his alma mater establish housing at the Tri-Cities campus, he said.

Student housing is similar to traditional apartments, but with more bedrooms and more durable finishes.

“You’ve got to build the product to handle activity and energy,” he said.

The complex will include a clubhouse, outdoor pool, basketball court and recreation facilities. It is the project the university envisioned when it issued a request for proposals this spring.

The company plans to solicit construction bids for the complex from Tri-City contractors.

The project will incorporate sustainable features to conserve water and energy, but it will not be formally certified by the U.S. Green Building Council or similar ratings programs, Brelsford said.

Corporate Pointe has developed a wide variety of commercial projects. It developed its first student housing project in 1992.

Corporate Pointe will develop and own the project. Dabco Property Management, which oversees Corporate Pointe’s Pullman portfolio, will manage the property.

WSU Tri-Cities and the Port of Benton first worked to develop housing for students in 2014. The port issued a request for proposals, which yielded a proposal, but no agreement was reached.

WSU Tri-Cities restarted the process last fall. Corporate Pointe was one of three finalists for the bid, the school said.

This story was originally published July 27, 2016 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Washington State University makes deal for student housing in Richland."