Tailwind Buys 576-Bed Alabama Student Asset
Campus Advantage sold the 1999-completed asset.
Tailwind Group has acquired The Beacon, a 180-unit, 576-bed student housing community in Auburn, Ala., in a deal arranged by Newmark.
Campus Advantage, the previous owner, had purchased it for $21.7 million 10 years ago, according to Yardi Matrix information. A $16.3 million Fannie Mae loan originated by Manufacturers and Traders Trust Co. financed that transaction.
The new owner plans to rebrand the property as The Quarters Auburn and implement a capital improvement plan that includes clubhouse renovations and other amenity upgrades.
Completed in 1999 at 1255 S. College St., the community is less than 1 mile from Auburn University and 2 miles from downtown Auburn and Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn University Regional Airport is within 6 miles northeast.
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The Beacon encompasses 15 three-story residential buildings spread across more than 19 acres. The unit mix consists of two-, three- and four-bedroom floorplans ranging from 1,000 to 1,410 square feet. The fully furnished apartments also feature private balconies or patios.
Common-area amenities include a fitness center, community room, swimming pool and spa, as well as a business center, sundeck and outdoor grilling station. Additionally, the property has a volleyball court, a computer lab and study room, a coffee bar and about 560 parking spaces.
Auburn University had 13,044 beds in its inventory as of March, according to a recent Yardi Matrix student housing report. Preleasing at the school reached 82.8 percent, marking an 8.4 percent year-over-year growth. The communities also posted a 10.8 percent rent increase compared to a year ago.
Tailwind Group’s recent student portfolio expansion
Tailwind Group’s student housing portfolio comprises 39 communities totaling about 18,500 bedrooms. The properties are spread across 16 states and 23 universities.
The Beacon marked the company’s fourth purchase in 2025. The first involved BLVD Gainesville, a 252-unit, 924-bed student housing community that Tailwind acquired in January and is currently renovating.
The second 2025 deal closed in February, when Tailwind purchased a 166-unit, 534-bed student property in Columbus, Ohio. That community is also undergoing multiple renovations and will be rebranded.
And last month, the firm acquired Connection at Huntsville, a student housing community in Huntsville, Texas. Arizona State University System sold the asset serving Sam Houston State University.
