The ribbon was ceremoniously cut at Maple Hall on September 29, 2022, marking the most recent P3 on-campus development to be delivered on-time and on-budget by the RISE team. Maple Hall is a 548-bed, apartment-style residence hall for students attending the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark, NJ.

Following a nationally competitive P3 procurement process in 2020, and navigating the uncertainties that accompanied the COVID pandemic, RISE closed on the project in 2021 and delivered this 8-story apartment community in time for the 2022 Fall semester.

Maple Hall houses many features and amenities that are designed to appeal to upperclassmen and graduate students at NJIT, including a gaming room, an outdoor terrace, full kitchens stocked with modern appliances, private and group study rooms, a creative studio, and integrated on-site parking garage, an outdoor kitchen, and more.

RISE will provide ongoing property management at Maple Hall.

Andrew Christ, NJIT Senior Vice President for Real Estate Development and Capital Operations, extended a thanks to the RISE team for their efforts working alongside the NJIT administration, saying, “Thank you so much for your hard, hard work in making this project come to fruition.”

Representing the RISE team at the ribbon cutting ceremony were Carl Jones (Regional Director), Vyron Bernard (Development Project Manager), Dawn Causbey (General Manager), Angel Morales (Maintenance Supervisor), Amber Hancock (Resident Life Director), Alexis Bland (Facilities Administrative Assistant), Tim Firley, and Ady Melendez (Leasing Manager from the Oxford Village RISE community.)

Hurricane Ian unfortunately disrupted the travel plans of additional RISE leadership who planned to attend including Jeremy Doss, Senior Vice President and the RISE team point-of-contact for this development.

Doss shared, “I cannot overstate the importance of the NJIT administration’s focus and vision that allowed for an incredible atmosphere of collaboration and problem solving.

“We appreciate NJIT’s fortitude and commitment to moving forward with the original closing date of May 2021. Looking back, and considering the construction and financing markets we’ve experienced, their foresight to pursue a 2022 opening capitalized on what would turn out to be about a 40% savings versus pushing to a closing that would have resulted in a 2023 opening. Andrew Christ championed this path forward and stayed the course, leading his team to understand the value in taking the risk and staying ahead of the curve.

“I could not be prouder of the hard work and dedication our team displayed to get us across this finish line on-time and on-budget. Faced with a mountain of uncertainty with the pandemic and the progressively challenging construction market, the entire RISE team buckled down to deliver this eight-story, 280K+ SF development on a complicated urban site within sixteen months.

“The on-time delivery allowed NJIT to capitalize on the pent-up demand of the post-pandemic student housing landscape. Congratulations to the team and all involved.”

Maple Hall occupies the important campus intersection of Warren and Wickliff Streets with an 8-story tower of floor-to-ceiling glass at the community’s main entrance. This prominent corner element serves as a campus beacon as well as captures stunning views of New York City and Newark skylines from a common floor lounge on each of the residential floors above the main entry. With 2,145 SF of market retail space, Maple Hall is positioned to be a vibrant campus landmark.

Niles Bolton Associates, Netta Architects, and Terminal Construction joined the RISE team on this project as the two architecture partners and general contractor, respectively. Rounding out the RISE team were T&M Associates, Langan Engineering, and RBC Capital Markets.