Nevada-Reno enrollment spike brings another housing proposal

RENO — As student enrollment continues to climb at The University of Nevada, Reno, the demand for more student-housing options is also on the rise.

An Alabama-based company, Collegiate Communities, is looking to build a 165-unit project just southeast of campus that will accommodate 625 students.

The proposed housing unit would be located on Record Street, where single-family houses and Bibo Coffee Co. currently stand.

Fred Atcheson, the owner of half the houses and Bibo Coffee Co.’s building, said he is in contract to sell his portion of the project footprint to Capstone by December.

Mike Baker, the executive vice president of development for Capstone Properties, said his company hasn’t fully committed to the project.

“We’re still working on the feasibility of it all,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll know for sure if we’re moving forward in the next couple months.”

The university owns a parking lot adjacent to the property. In the past, University of Nevada, Reno President Marc Johnson talked about either building or jointly managing a parking garage with a private developer.

The Capstone project would include two stories of parking, but Baker said that still won’t be enough for all their residents. It would also include another five stories of rooms above that.

Baker said the Capstone plan will need to incorporate all of these concerns. He said he hopes to have more details later this year.