By DAVID A. DÍAZ
Texas Border Business
Construction has begun on a $29.1 million luxury, off-campus student residential community designed to serve The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, and which will bring 588 beds to the market, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced.
The building permit for the upscale community, known as Legends Edinburg, was issued June 1, 2016 by the City of Edinburg’s Code Enforcement Department.
The value of the building permit is $22.5 million, but that does not include the value of the land, nor the value of furniture (the units are fully-furnished) along with the costs of other features.
According to Edinburg-based engineer Carlos Garza, P.E., of AEC Engineering, LLC, construction began at the 16.17-acre site on Monday, June 13, 2016 for the 310,680 square-foot residential complex, which will have three separate buildings featuring a total of 252 units.
Garza is the Project Engineer for Domus Development, LLC, the developer of Legends Edinburg, which will feature one-, two- and four-bedroom units.
Garza also represented Domus Development, LLC, before the Edinburg City Council in successfully having the property rezoned to allow for its construction. In addition, AEC Engineering handled the Civil Design, Platting, and Building Permit Acquisition of the property.
UTRGV, School of Medicine Attracted Legends Edinburg
Legends Edinburg will be ready for move in for Fall 2017, according to Domus Development, LLC.
“This area of Texas is rapidly growing and having the chance to develop a community near the new and improved University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Edinburg campus, offers us the opportunity to do something different,” said Eric Jakimier, owner of Domus Development, LLC and student housing industry veteran. “We really work hard to be architecturally sensitive to the areas we go in to and because of this, we are going to lean on some modern/Mexican architects who are personal heroes of mine. It’s going to really stand out in the marketplace and be very different from your standard, run-of-the-mill project.”
Mayor Richard García, who along with the Edinburg City Council and Edinburg EDC in 2013 had worked on the creation of UTRGV, formerly known as UT-Pan American, and the UTRGV School of Medicine in the city, said Legends Edinburg is the latest symbol of economic development being generated by the university and its medical school.
“We have new homes, new hotels, new entertainment venues, among the lowest unemployment rates and best retail economies in the Valley, and, of course, our biggest asset is our people, and those are among the key elements that attract major private investments, such as Legends Edinburg,” the mayor said. “This growth and more have been done without raising the city property tax rate in the past 21 consecutive years.”
EEDC Board President Mark Iglesias noted that Legends Edinburg will continue to help 2016 construction totals in Edinburg to approach – and perhaps surpass – a record level in one calendar year in the city’s recent history.
“Total construction activities in Edinburg were almost $192 million for all of 2006, which is the highest figure in the past 10 years,” Iglesias reported. “By comparison, during the first four months of 2016, from January through April, we had already issued building permits for construction valued at more than $82 million.”
Construction figures provided by the city’s Code Enforcement Department do not include the value of land for the homes and businesses, and they do not include the value of any construction at The University of Texas Rio Grande or its School of Medicine in Edinburg.
“We are catering to the diverse student demographic with Legends Edinburg,” said Jakimier. “Unlike most student housing communities, just over 30 percent of our apartments will be one-bedrooms, which will be a draw for the medical students who prefer the solidarity as the new medical program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley opens later this summer.”
Legends Edinburg is located near the corner of Chapin Street and Sugar Road, just 1/10 mile from the Edinburg campus, which includes the School of Medicine.
“Developing this high level of student housing in markets such as Edinburg requires a special type of investor, and I have to say I am blessed with the best investors in the world, four of whom have been with me from the start of Domus Development, LLC six years ago,” added Jakimier. “Once completed, Legends Edinburg will be on par with any student housing at any campus in the country.”
EEDC Executive Director Agustín García, Jr. said the city’s and EEDC’s leadership always help influence the aesthetics in Edinburg, including major new construction projects.
“The mayor and city councilmembers, along with the EEDC Board of Directors, have worked effectively with the leaders of many major projects, both private and public, to help make sure they add to the natural beauty of our city and region,” said the EEDC Executive Director.
Legends Edinburg to Provide Wide Range Of Amenities
In its action on Tuesday, January 5, 2016, the Mayor and City Council approved the request from Garza, acting as the agent for Domus Development, that the property, which was vacant, be rezoned into a one-lot, 16.17 acre property, from Auto-Urban Uses to Urban Uses and the Rezoning Request from Suburban Residential (S) District and Agriculture (AG) District to Urban Residential (UR) District.
That decision by the city government’s elected leaders followed a unanimous vote by the Planning & Zoning Commission, which includes Mayor Pro Tem Richard Molina, on December 8, 2015, to approve the rezoning request.
“This new community will promote and protect not only our residents, but also our neighbors,” Garza said. “It will be a gated community, beautifully landscaped, have on-site management, have a clubhouse and other amenities, comply with building and fire codes, fire protection, parking, landscaping, solid waste services, utilities, and all other city requirements that apply.”
Also according to Domus Development, LLC: Legends Edinburg will provide students with a wide range of amenities to create the best community for residents to live, study and play. Amenities include a salt-water resort-style pool, sand volleyball court, study rooms, a chic clubhouse with a game room, a computer lounge, separate dog parks for large and small dogs, and more.
Residents will be able to choose from a variety of spacious floor plans including one, two and four-bedroom options.
The individual apartments will come fully furnished with modern appliances, granite countertops, hardwood style flooring, ceiling fans, full-size washer and dryer and more.
Residents will be able to sign individual leases, meaning they are only responsible for the rent of their individual bed, not the rent of the entire apartment. The entire property is also equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi, and will employ an on-site maintenance and management staff.
Domus Development has hired Asset Campus Housing (ACH), the largest management and privately held student housing company in the U.S., to manage the community. This is the fifth project that Domus Development has brought ACH in to manage and lease up.
“We’ve worked closely with Eric on past projects and we are excited to partner with him again for Legends Edinburg,” said Joe Goodwin, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Asset Campus Housing. “This community will offer a unique atmosphere for its residents, tailored to fit their needs to help them be successful in school and in life.”
Domus Development specializes in the development of student housing, both university-owned and privately owned communities across the U.S. Domus Development is highly experienced in all aspects of student housing development, from site selection, acquisition, due diligence, design consultant management, lender contract negation, negotiations with governmental agencies, construction management, project turnover and reporting to investors. For more information, please visit:
The Edinburg EDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council.
The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mark Iglesias as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Ellie M. Torres as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Richard García and Richard Ruppert as Members. Mayor Richard García and EEDC Executive Director Agustín García are not related.
