New Apartment Student Housing Near Texas A&M University

 John Sharp, Texas A&M University System Chancellor, announced that the annual economic impact of the A&M System in the Bryan/College Station area is more than $4 billion per year. This number has almost doubled over the last decade and is a first for the system at Texas A&M. The reason for the increase was the involvement of students and visitors attending sporting events and other campus activities.

The students of Texas A&M have contributed $470.5 million to the local economy because there are a record number of students on campus this year. Fall 2012 had an enrollment of 50,227 compared to the 49,861 from 2011. Student’s expenditures include school supplies, food, housing, recreation and much more. With the record number of students at A&M there are now more housing options than ever and they are changing the landscape of College Station.

 The Rise at Northgate, Northpoint Crossing, and The Stack at Legacy Point. These student housing options will forever change the landscape of College Station because for the first time the city has released the air rights. This means that the student housing is starting to build upwards and actually, for the first time, we will have a sky scraper type of structure close to campus. These new places also incorporate something different than anything we have seen in College Station before this close to campus. These places are mixed-use developments with housing on the upper floors while retail and parking are below. The $45 million Northpoint Crossing will include 307 apartment units with 920 beds, and two parking garages. The first floor will be 50,000 square feet of restaurants and retail.

Phase one of that project will be completed by summer of next year with phase two adding 300 additional apartments and being completed in 2015. This is the site of the old Plaza Hotel, our one skyscraper type building at the intersection of Texas and University. The rise at Northgate is an 18-story high rise with 184 apartments.  While the upper levels will be apartments, the lower levels consist of 17,000 square feet which will include shops, restaurants and a grocery store with a parking garage. This building is going up on Northgate at Church Street. It's being said that this building will have a full service spa and mid-level balcony pool and resort area.

Taking over the old Albertsons building is The Stack at Legacy Point. The Stack is a five- story student housing development with an underground parking garage

It’s amazing how much this small town and university has grown since I arrived in 2001 as a freshman. Once I graduated in 2005, I moved up north for ball, retired and moved back in 2008. Once I moved back I have noticed Aggieland has been growing at a rapid pace, and there is no end in sight. The new A&M Health Science Center, HEB Town Center, Scott & White Hospitals, and many other developments in Bryan/ College Station show you why this once undeveloped community is gaining national recognition by many different publications. This place is unique and one-of-a-kind, but none of this would be possible without that 5,200 acre campus and the students. Here are some stats on how the students impact Bryan / College Station:

• $144 million - Dollars spent locally by visitors (up $6 million from 2009)
• $464 million - Dollars spent locally by students ( up $39 million from 2009)
• $886 million - Payroll to local employees (up $4 million from 2009)
• $3.7 billion - Impact of Texas A&M students on Brazos County (up $213 million from 2009)
• $4 billlion- Impact of Texas A&M students on BCS economy after 2012 -Info from BCS Economic Outlook Conference