Image courtesy of Elkus Manfredi Architects
Tufts University and Capstone Development Partners unveiled plans for the school’s largest-ever dormitory project, a 667-bed development across from the MBTA’s Medford/Tufts station.
The 10-story, 275,800-square-foot project at 401 Boston Ave. could break ground as soon as next spring, university officials said. It is expected to decrease the off-campus student housing presence in surrounding neighborhoods, said Barbara Stein, Tufts’ vice president for operations.
“This will not only benefit community life on campus, but it also will free up [300] housing units in Medford and Somerville,” Stein said at a virtual community meeting Thursday night.
The Elkus Manfredi Architects-designed buildings would include “apartment-style housing” for juniors and seniors, primarily suites containing four bedrooms with shared kitchen, living and bathrooms.
Boston-based Graffito SP has been selected as broker of the ground-floor retail spaces.
Tufts’ undergraduate population has increased by approximately 700 students since 2020, and now stands at 6,662, according to spokesman Patrick Collins.
Tufts is partnering with Capstone, Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects and Erland Construction of Burlington on the project.
Local colleges have partnered with private developers in recent years to offset the costs of new dorm projects. In March, the Boston Planning & Development Agency board approved a 23-story, 1,370-bed dorm at 860 Columbus Ave. for Northeastern University in a partnership with Austin, Texas-based student housing specialist American Campus Communities.
Tufts opted to partner with a private developer after a stand-alone development was determined to be financially infeasible, Stein said.
Rents for the new housing would be “competitive” with the private apartment market in the area, Stein said, without giving specifics.
Birmingham, Alabama-based Capstone has developed student housing projects totaling more than 47,000 beds since 1997. In 2016, the firm developed the first on-campus housing at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, a 1,077-bed residence hall and dining commons.
Plans will be submitted for approval by the Medford Community Development Board this fall, officials said, and completion is scheduled for August 2027. The proposed building height of 100 feet is within the 125-foot limit under local zoning, Elkus Manfredi Architects Principal John Martin said.
