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Board gives guidance on conceptual 16-story student housing at 2160 North High Street
Summary
The board reviewed a conceptual proposal for a 16-story, mixed-use student housing project at 2160 North High Street, offering design guidance on massing, materials and public art while seeking clarity on affordable-unit implementation required for a height bonus.
Design teams returned to the University Impact District Review Board with a revised concept for 2160 North High Street: a proposed 16-story, mixed-use student housing building that project representatives described as a 378,000-square-foot structure with about 10,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. The board provided extensive design feedback but offered no final action; staff called the hearing a conceptual review.
Developers said they had implemented several changes since an April review. The most notable moves were recessing and relocating the primary retail entry to the corner of Lane and High to create additional public space and planters, adding two-story brick elements at the base to relate to nearby buildings, introducing a two-story amenity volume above the retail entry to animate the corner, and extending upper floors beyond the right-of-way line at the corner pending a right-of-way encroachment approval. The project team also told the board they are pursuing National Green Building Standard Bronze certification.
Board members generally welcomed the revised corner treatment and the additional ground-floor activation but asked the design team to refine the north and east façades so the building better relates to adjacent lower-scale residential properties. Commissioners flagged several issues they wanted addressed in subsequent submittals: larger, more varied window openings to reduce facade repetitiveness; clearer material transitions between base masonry and upper panelized systems; additional articulation on the north façade and in alley/courtyard spaces; and specifics about lighting, landscaping, and rooftop amenity amenities.
The board and applicant discussed the 16-story massing relative to the urban core district rules. The development team said the scheme is sized to include a 20% affordable-unit set-aside that would qualify the project for a four‑story height bonus under the city’s urban core rules; the team also said negotiations with city housing staff about how those affordable units will be rented (whether to students or another eligible population) are ongoing. The board asked for clearer evidence that the city’s affordability and bonus requirements can be satisfied as the design proceeds.
No action was taken; the board asked the applicant to return with more detailed elevations, material samples, a clarified site plan, and a public-art concept for the Lane Avenue frontage.
