AM Management, the previous contractors to run Wright State residence halls, sold the properties to the Columbus-based real estate company in March, the university said. Crawford Hoying helped build the Water Street district in downtown Dayton near Day Air Ballpark, and currently has multiple apartment buildings under construction downtown.
Bob Hoying, principle at Crawford Hoying, said the company plans to make its own improvements to the residence halls, which will be done at no cost to the university. The amenities will be built at a location near the existing student housing, including the Honors Hall and The Village.
Those improvements include pools and outdoor recreation areas, which Hoying said may get students to want to stay through the summer.
“We think it’s just one of those things to be competitive with all the other market rate apartments that are in the area,” Hoying said. “This is something that we think can have a huge impact on the student population, attracting new students but also getting students to stay here year-round.”
Mike Landrum, president of real estate at Crawford Hoying, said when he toured Wright State residence halls, he saw a lack of vision in the competitive atmosphere of housing at the university.
“It was obvious to us that the occupancy centers outside the university were high and those inside the university were not, and it was immediately apparent why,” Landrum said.
According to Wright State, the on-campus apartments and residence halls were built in the 1970s and 1980s through a public-private partnership.
Crawford Hoying now owns and controls about 2,700 beds through The Woods, Honors Hall and other housing along Zink Road, WSU said.
Wright State still owns and controls about 550 beds in Forest Lane Apartments and Hamilton Hall.
Trustee Andy Platt, who attended Wright State , said these amenities would have been a game-changer for him while he lived in the dorms.
“I think it’s exciting seeing any of that,” Platt said.
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