Green Real Estate Group LLC has started work on its second major student housing development inside of two years and one city street: Vine 422, a 68-bed, loft-style project next to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
The newest development will continue the innovations offered by its predecessor and Green’s first foray into student housing, including the dorm-room style of pay that makes every student responsible only for his or her individual room, as well as free monthly bathroom cleanings, each of which set worried parents’ minds at ease.
Yet according to Marketing and Operations Director Aubrey Read, Vine 422 is also markedly new.
Many focus groups were organized to determine what modern students most wanted in their housing experience. After hearing from current students and recent graduates, Green made several key decisions that differentiate their newest development from other competition.
First, upon its opening for the 2016 summer semester, 422 will offer 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartment options in order to serve a broad student base ranging from freshmen to doctoral candidates.
Next, the apartments themselves will be modeled after a loft style with over-sized windows and abundant natural light. “We hired an interior designer who specializes in lofts since that’s the vibe students said they liked,” Read said. “There are so many studies going on right now that show that the minimalistic style is better for focus – it’s good for brain space!”
Finally, the new development will boast many new ground-level amenities, including a large green space with ample seating, grills and outdoor games, as well as plans for a restaurant and small commercial space that Read pictures as a convenience store or late-night food option.
Read describes the project as another example of Green Real Estate’s commitment to fostering community for UT at Chattanooga’s growing student population.
“With Vine 324, we were the first to offer all-inclusive apartments for students,” Read says of the new facility’s sister development that opened in January 2014. “UT Chattanooga has really been expanding, and for a while kids coming in as freshmen were having to live in hotels that weren’t even close to campus. This property came available a block or two away from campus, so Adam decided, we need to do this. We need to revitalize this area!”
The area they’ve chosen forges a vital link between university and city life, sitting as it does on the main thoroughfare connecting students to downtown.
Read hopes that by providing exceptional facilities tailored to students’ needs in a highly convenient location, Green Real Estate can help to make Vine into a “college corridor” that gives students a sense of community as well as a quality living experience.
“Of course people need somewhere to live,” Read describes, “but we want to know, how can we make them live stress-free?”
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By Elizabeth Putfark
Equal Housing Opportunity
