California Apartments Being Renovated to Attract Students

Work is under way on the renovation of the Grove, an 80-unit apartment property in Davis.

By Dees Stribling, Contributing Editor

Davis, Calif.—Work is under way on the renovation of the Grove, an 80-unit apartment property in Davis. HighBridge Properties, on behalf of itself and a private investor client, acquired the apartment complex last November. It was formerly known as Brush Creek Apartments.

The Grove is about two miles northwest of the University of California-Davis campus. It consists of 10 one- and two-story rental apartment buildings with a total of 36 one-bedroom units; 36 two-bedroom units; and eight three-bedroom units. All of the units feature either ground-floor patios or second-story balconies.The renovation and repositioning is slated for completion in August, in time to accommodate tenant move-ins before the start of UC-Davis’s fall quarter in September. HighBridge is directing the day-to-day activities during the renovation, working with its on-site property manager, FPI Management, which oversees 60,000 apartment units.Working while the property remained largely occupied, HighBridge and FPI have focused on updating the interiors of all of the units. They are installing new carpeting and wood-panel flooring, repainting all rooms, resurfacing kitchen countertops, and replacing window treatments and kitchen appliances. For the first time, wifi service will be available in all of the units.

The owners are making improvements to the property’s exterior and building common areas as well. With Davis the only California city to earn the League of American Bicyclists’ highest rating as a bicycle-friendly community, chief among them are the secured bike racks—each with a capacity of two bikes—that are being installed outside the entrance of each apartment unit.

According to Paul Gradeff, principal and managing director of HighBridge, the local rental market in Davis is largely by UC students, and so the owners’ goal is to make the Grove the apartments of choice for students who want to live off-campus. “The renovations and new amenities we’re adding will give the Grove a distinct advantage over its competition,” he says.