The Landmark Now Seeks Urban Professionals, Too

Now The Landmark is not just for students. The apartment building being constructed on Grand River Avenue near MSU’s Union has gone from being described by its marketers as “purpose-built student housing” with a “ridiculous rooftop deck” to being “designed for students and young professionals.”

There’s even a special new page to the apartment marketing website, showing attractive people working in scrubs and stethoscopes, assuring, “Landmark on Grand River doesn’t just cater to students…. We offer the perfect blend between unrivaled luxury living, best-in-class amenities and an unbeatable location.”

ELi reported in late July that The Landmark was being advertised as an apartment building specifically for MSU students: “Introducing Michigan State University’s newest, premier, purpose-built student housing community.”

All of the apartments apparently come furnished, like dorm rooms, with some offering two beds in one bedroom. The building will include a 24-hour fitness center, a “business center,” TV lounge, a “study library,” grilling stations (presumably on the deck overlooking Grand River Avenue), “private study rooms,” bike storage, and free WIFI.

The project was approved by City Council under claims by the developer that the building would be for a mixed market, and not just students. So, did City Council or City Planning staff force the developer to open up the marketing to urban professionals?

That's not clear. What is clear is that what had been advertised as “college living redefined” is now being advertised as “college town living redefined" online. The signs haven’t yet been changed on the construction site or on the storefront aimed at attracting renters for next year.

Floor plans and starter pricing are now available at The Landmark’s marketing page. They show prices for a 350-square-foot “micro” apartment starting at $1,050 per month. One-bedroom apartments, at 512-square-feet, start at $1,400 per month. A two-bedroom, two-bath apartment with a total of three beds and 793-square-feet of space starts at $2,250 per month.

The first floor of the building will house a lobby for the apartments as well as an urban-format Target store, including a small grocery. ELi reported last week that the contractors met the deadline for turning over the Target space for interior build-out, and a representative from Target told ELi then, “The store is still on track to open in 2019, and we’ll have more specific timing on our grand opening date as we get closer.”

The image below provides a peek behind the construction fencing to show the front of the Target store as it appears this week.

On the Albert Avenue side of the project, another apartment building is being constructed over the new parking garage. Called “Newman Lofts,” that will include about 93 rental apartments for people aged 55 and up. There’s now a special marketing page for those apartments, but no floor plans or pricing yet.

The marketing page for Newman Lofts describes that project as “a vibrant purpose-built multi-family development, [which] represents a Residential Oasis designed for Active Adults seeking best-in-class finishes coupled with urban living.”

See ELi's complete reporting on the Center City District project by clicking here.