CRG, Cole West Break Ground on Salt Lake City Student Housing

March 12, 2026

Student Housing Development News Salt Lake City More West

The community will serve students attending the University of Utah.

CRG and Cole West have broken ground on Chapter Salt Lake City, a 251-unit, 693-bed student housing development intended to serve students at University of Utah. The six-story community will rise at 410 S. 900 East in Salt Lake City.

Delivery of the Salt Lake City property is slated for summer 2028, in time for the 2028-29 academic year. The property is the latest of the Chapter brand that CRG has developed for various flagship university markets, which boast some of the sector’s highest occupancy, rent growth and preleasing rates.

Designed by architecture firm LJC, Chapter Salt Lake City will offer a mix of studios, one-, two- and four-bedroom residences, all of which will be fully furnished. Common-area amenities include a fitness center with a Pilates studio, a sauna, a ski simulator, a library and study spaces, as well as a soda shop. A lounge, pool and hot tub are on the roof.

The transit-oriented community, is located across from the TRAX-900 East & 400 South light rail station, which is a 10-minute walk from the University campus. Chapter Salt Lake City is also a five-minute walk to the Trolley Square retail and entertainment district, which includes a Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

According to J.J. Smith, executive vice president and partner at CRG, the University of Utah has posted six consecutive years of record enrollment growth, with more than 38,000 students enrolled. That represents a more than 20 percent increase over the past decade.

Chapter Salt Lake City follows recent CRG groundbreakings of Chapter properties in Eugene, Ore., Madison, Wis. and Ann Arbor, Mich. Altogether, CRG has developed more than 50,000 beds in more than 80 university markets nationwide. For its part, Cole West has undertaken more than 250 active or completed projects, including 5,000 delivered residential lots and other residential, retail and mixed-use ventures.

Student housing’s report card

According to data from Yardi Matrix, estimated occupancy for the student housing properties in major markets that the company tracks nationwide sat at at 95.1 percent in September 2025, up from 93.6 percent a year earlier and 94.5 percent in September 2023. Occupancy gains weren’t universal across markets, however. Seventy-two schools recorded lower occupancy than in September 2024, and 22 schools trailed by 5 percent or more.

Student housing preleasing for the 2026–2027 academic year reached 52.3 percent in January, Yardi Matrix further reported.

Developers are busy, including in the western states. In December, a joint venture between CRG and Kenter Capital recently started construction on Chapter Alder, a 491-bed student housing community in Eugene, Ore. The project will be completed ahead of the 2027 academic year.

So are investors. In late January, Honolulu-based Shidler Group recently paid $115 million for Wexler on 65th, a 762-bed student housing community in Sacramento, Calif. The property traded for about $151,000 per bed.