Grand Opening of Student Housing Tower in Downtown Columbia

A new expansive student housing tower situated in downtown Columbia celebrated its official opening through a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, July 31. Named ‘The Standard,’ this 17-story student housing tower boasts a capacity of 678 beds and is located at 1401 Assembly St. within Columbia’s Arsenal Hill neighborhood. The project was executed in collaboration with CRG, a prominent National real estate development and investment firm, and Landmark Properties, the nation’s largest student housing developer. Design-builder, Clayco, and architecture firm, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, also played a significant role in bringing this project to life.

Strategically positioned at the intersection of Washington and Assembly streets, this Columbia student housing is in close proximity to a range of retail, dining, and entertainment offerings in downtown Columbia. The Standard at Columbia is also near the University of South Carolina, which observed its largest freshman year in the 2022-23 academic year. This growth in enrollment has led to an increased demand for campus-adjacent Columbia student housing. 

Key figures who addressed the opening event included Daniel J. Rickenmann, Columbia Mayor, JJ Smith, Executive Vice President and Partner of Residential for CRG, and Rob Dinwiddie, Executive Vice President of Management Services for Landmark Properties. The guests also unveiled the murals painted by artist Sharon Dowell on the North and South sides of the building and in the parking garage. The murals are commissioned in partnership with One Columbia. The murals incorporate vibrant colors and architectural images that honor many of the Black-owned businesses that once flourished there. These murals pay homage to the area’s rich cultural history where the building, which was known as Columbia’s ‘Black Downtown’ from the 1920s through to the mid-century, is located. 

The Standard at Columbia is a premier University of South Carolina off campus Columbia student housing community that caters to the student lifestyle. The Standard at Columbia  boasts high-end interior features, top-notch on-site amenities, and prime location. It offers 247 fully furnished apartments, ranging from studios to five-bedroom apartments. These apartments are now 90% pre-leased for the upcoming fall season. The Columbia student housing tower is equipped with an array of amenities, including a resort-style rooftop pool with sun shelves, jumbotron, fire pit and outdoor grilling stations, multi-sport simulator, complimentary tanning beds, fitness center, academic lounge with private study rooms and computer lab, resident clubroom, bike storage, and garage parking with EV charging stations. 

CRG’s residential group, with extensive experience and connections in 100 markets, 40 states, and seven countries, has developed over $6 billion in residential communities and 40,000 multifamily units, spanning market-rate apartments, co-living spaces, and off-campus student housing. 

Landmark Properties, a fully integrated real estate firm, manages over $11.8 billion in assets and oversees 100 residential communities across the United States. Currently, Landmark is involved in the construction of 22 student and multifamily projects, collectively valued at an estimated $4.7 billion.

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