Core Spaces Enters Missouri With 970-Bed Student Housing Acquisition
The community last traded for $73 million in 2024.
Core Spaces has acquired The Collective at Columbia, a 972-bed student housing community serving the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo. The company purchased the asset from The Preiss Co. and a real estate fund advised by Crow Holdings Capital. This is Core Spaces’ first acquisition in Missouri. A sale price was not disclosed.
Preiss previously purchased the 318-unit development from Aspen Square Management in 2024 for $73 million, Yardi Matrix shows. Residences at the community include two- to four-bedroom townhomes equipped with in-unit laundry, as well as patios and balconies available in select units.
The Collective, located at 3600 Aspen Heights Parkway in Columbia, was completed in 2013, according to Yardi Matrix. For the past three fall semesters, The Collective at Columbia has been 100 percent preleased, the same source shows. The current average asking rent is $780 per bedroom.
Shared amenities at The Collective include a swimming pool, a clubhouse, a fitness center with a yoga room, study lounges and sports courts. The community also offers a private shuttle service to bring students to the university. According to the property’s website, there are pet services such as a dog park and washing station available. The University of Missouri is 2.5 miles away. Also nearby are Walmart Supercenter, Frank G. Nifong Memorial Park and the Columbia Mall.
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For the past three fall semesters, The Collective at Columbia has been 100 percent preleased, according to Yardi Matrix. The same source shows the current average asking rent is $780 per bedroom.
The University of Missouri is ahead of the preleasing cycle for the 2026-2027 academic year, according to the February 2026 national student housing report from Yardi Matrix. The report found that the school is 84.1 percent preleased, second only to Virginia Tech, which is 88.2 percent preleased.
At the end of February, Aspen Square Management completed a similar student housing transaction with the sale of The Row Apartments in Columbia, a 328-unit student housing development also for students at the university. Monument Square Investment Group acquired the asset, which spans almost 10 acres.
Core Spaces’ current construction pipeline
One of the largest student housing developers in the nation, Core Spaces owns and manages more than 61,000 beds. Its construction pipeline consists of more than 50,000 beds in various stages of development across multiple markets.
In July 2025, the company, in a joint venture with Kayne Anderson Real Estate, broke ground on Hub Clemson, a 1,303-bed development serving Clemson University in South Carolina. The project is slated for completion in June 2027. A month later, the company unveiled plans for ōLiv Columbia a 720-bed, 2,350-unit mixed-use student housing development in Columbia, S.C, . The project will include 720 market-rate Construction began in January.
Core Spaces is also in a joint venture with Harrison Street for development of Hub Tampa Fowler, a 1,195-bed project taking shape in Tampa, Fla. The community will house students at University of South Florida when it is completed in 2027.
