Large housing projects for WSU students could land in Pullman

Developers have approached Pullman city officials about constructing a 13-story high-density apartment building on Bishop Boulevard and a 45-acre housing community north of the Washington State University campus in the next two years.

Pullman City Planning Director Pete Dickinson said developers outside Pullman have taken notice of WSU’s growing enrollment and have shown interest in constructing housing to meet the perceived demand.

In fall 2018, enrollment in Pullman exceeded 21,000 students, according to a September WSU news release. Statewide, WSU campuses saw the largest freshman enrollment in history in 2018.

City officials have met with representatives from Nelson Brothers, a company based in California, about plans for a 13-story apartment building on nearly five acres near the intersection of Bishop Boulevard and Johnson Avenue. The building will contain 274 apartments with a total of 685 bedrooms. It will have a parking garage.

Dickinson said he expects the apartment building, called Elevate Student Housing, to warrant a traffic analysis before construction begins because it is estimated to add more than 2,700 vehicle trips per day at that location.

He also said Elevate Student Housing may exceed the city’s standard for the amount of dwellings allowed in an apartment building. The city allows one dwelling per every 1,000 square feet, which means 213 apartments would be allowed at this location, he said.

He said the developers can seek a conditional-use permit that would allow it to exceed the city’s limit.

The developer hopes to begin construction as early as October and finish in July 2021.

In a separate request, Landmark Properties, a company based in Athens, Ga., has submitted a site plan review application to the city for what the company calls a “cottage-style community” located on 45 acres at the 2000 block of Northeast Merman Drive.

According to a news release from the company, the development, called the Retreat at Pullman, will have 187 detached homes, or cottages, with 767 bedrooms. It will also feature a 12,500-square-foot clubhouse, swimming pool, fitness center, computer lab and sand volleyball court.

Landmark Properties spokesman Cody Nichelson said the company hopes to begin construction later this month and finish by August 2020.

Nichelson, in an email to the Daily News, wrote it will be a high-end student housing development. The 187 cottages will offer different floor plans ranging from two to six bedrooms.

“We certainly recognize there’s growing demand for high-quality housing options near WSU’s campus,” he wrote. “We see this as a significant opportunity to provide a great living option to residents there.”

Anthony Kuipers can be reached at (208) 883-4640, or by email to akuipers@dnews.com.