BLINN BOARD MOVES FORWARD WITH NEW STUDENT HOUSING
The Blinn College Board of Trustees has authorized college administrators to negotiate with a private company regarding the development of new student housing on the Blinn-Brenham campus.
During a special meeting Monday, the board authorized Blinn to negotiate with Servitas, LLC and its partners for a contract to develop student housing containing more than 400 beds. The project, which would be located on Blinn property at the corner of Saeger Street and Old Mill Creek Road, would be ready for student use by Fall 2017.
Servitas and its partners would fund the project via an issuance of bonds by National Campus and Community Development, an Austin-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides public partners with tax-exempt finance solutions. Upon termination of the 40-year lease, the facility would revert to Blinn College.
The project would not impact Blinn’s ability to proceed with its new Bryan West campus, which is expected to open in Spring 2017.
The Blinn-Brenham campus currently houses 1,326 students, more than any other community college in the state. Despite this, more than 400 students were placed on the housing waiting list this fall. The addition of approximately 400 students would generate approximately $2.5 million in annual tuition, fees and state reimbursement.
“This project will allow more students to enjoy the benefits of our residential Brenham campus and improve our campus community without requiring an investment of student tuition or taxpayer dollars,” said Dr. Mary Hensley, district president/CEO.
Based in Irving, Texas, Servitas has recently developed student housing at Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Texas A&M-Galveston, Florida International and East Texas Baptist universities, as well as Northeast Texas Community College. In its 25-year history, Servitas has served more than 45 universities in 15 states, including $500 million in housing projects in 2015. In July, Texas A&M selected Servitas for a $368 million student housing development project on the campus’s west side. Story courtesy of Blinn College.