Talking Stick - July/August 2009 - 33

market constraints. “The Continuum represented a unique opportunity,” says Jeff Jones of Capstone. “On one hand, this [University of Florida] is a university on a path to become a top ten public research university status. The program, design, and operation of this project would address the graduate and professional students, faculty, and staff who would contribute to that objective. On the other hand, the community sought to revitalize the Second Avenue corridor, linking the university campus with the downtown district. The site for the Continuum is located between the university and downtown, while this student population infuses 24-hour vitality.” Like any site, the Continuum also presented challenges. To address community concerns about traffic and resident behavior, developers designed the project for more seasoned graduate and professional school students rather than undergraduates. They also installed bus stops to help facilitate resident use of local mass transit. In meeting the city’s building design and permit review process, they were able to meet the safety and privacy needs of residents while also making the ground floor accessible for public use. The project team worked closely with local counsel and consultants, including the former mayor of Gainesville David Coffey to gain insight into and consensus with city staff on design vocabulary, contextual response, the level of detail, and material palettes. As a result, the structure resembles a collection of buildings developed over time, rather than a new structure shoehorned into the city all at once. To accomplish this, the parking garage is hidden on three sides by singleloaded residential units, offering three fronts to the community and project courtyards. The design provides groundfloor mixed-use retail with housing above, which increases security for the residents. To ensure affordability, the project team designed to modular housing parameters and utilized built-in furniture to maximize unit efficiency and therefore the number of beds per floor. Capitalizing on the year-round temperate climate, the design incorporates outdoor circulation features to offer glimpses into the courtyards, while reducing HVAC costs. Outdoor amenity spaces were designed adjacent to and integrated with the rehabilitated church structure. “The development team, city, and university made special efforts to improve the corridor, operations and facilities along the corridor, as well as investments in streetscaping and improvements that enhanced the corridor,” says Jones. “So, quality design and construction were accomplished on a premium site where land costs are higher: all of these conditions were achieved while maximizing cost competitiveness.” Sustainable Rental Rates Along with all the details regarding construction design and zoning, codevelopment partners must determine sustainable rental rates and work

Talking Stick - July/August 2009

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