Landmark Properties Develops California Student Housing

Landmark Properties’ student housing project in Berkeley, Calif. Rendering courtesy of Trachtenberg Architects

Landmark Properties is developing its third student housing project near the University of California, Berkeley. The firm didn’t disclose when the project would break ground but expects to welcome its first residents in fall 2026.

Landmark tapped Trachtenberg Architects to handle planning and entitlements, while Myefski Architects was tasked with handling plan production, Jason Doornbos, executive managing director of development at Landmark Properties, told Multi-Housing News.

Doornbos told MHN that the currently unnamed student housing community will have more than 300 units. Landmark Properties is also setting aside 10 percent of the units to be designated as affordable housing for those making 50 percent of area median income, according to Doornbos.

The fully furnished units will range from studio to five-bed floorplans and will be built with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and private bathrooms for each bedroom. The community will be built with a rooftop deck with more than 7,000 square feet of amenity space including a dog park, hot tub, and lounge area, while the rest of the common amenities will include a fitness center, a computer lab and study lounges.

Located at 2190 Shattuck Ave., Landmark’s project will be a short walk away from UC Berkeley and the city’s restaurant district with many retail and dining options. Residents will also have close access to the downtown Berkeley train station on the BART, which can connect them to nearby cities like Oakland and San Francisco.

Doubling down on student housing ventures

Wes Rogers, president & CEO of Landmark Properties, said in prepared remarks that the firm still sees a need for purpose-built student housing in well-placed locations throughout Berkeley. Rogers added that Landmark has two other apartment communities in the city. Previously, the firm developed The Standard at Berkeley, a 117-unit student housing development next to the south side of UC Berkeley’s campus, and Stonefire Berkeley, a 98-unit property that was built in 2017 as off-campus housing.

Prior to its third Berkeley project, Landmark Properties formed a $1 billion platform along with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority to acquire and operate a value-add student housing property portfolio across the U.S. The firm later continued the partnership with the Abu Dhabi agency by creating a separate $2 billion joint venture dedicated to build-to-core student housing. More recently, Landmark grew its student housing portfolio by acquiring Knightshade, an 894-bed student housing community in Orlando, Fla., for $117 million.