Construction begins on student apartment complex near UK. When will it open?
Construction is underway on a student housing development near the University of Kentucky.
A 277-unit, 655-bed building on East Maxwell Street is expected to open in fall 2027. The building, called The Maxwell, is one of several student apartment complexes being built by a private developer around UK.
In a news release, Development Director Michael Apt said Gilbane Development has “prioritized student education, and their comfort, convenience, and connection” to the university.
According to the release, each unit will be fully furnished and have a private bathroom, walk-in closet, in-unit washer and dryer, internet access and kitchen. The building will have a rooftop deck and underground parking garage with 140 spaces.
Residents will have access to covered bike storage, game-day courtyards, fire pits and grilling stations, and a fitness center. The release does not indicate base rent figures or floor plans for each unit.
The apartment project got its final stamp of approval from the city’s planning commission in January after postponing the vote when developers showed a final rendering that varied too much from the original.
Homes along East Maxwell and between Stone Street and Lexington Avenue were previously used for student housing, and the block’s transformation into an apartment complex has been controversial. A previous zoning change for a much larger apartment building from a different developer was denied in 2019.
Earlier this summer, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council approved an 8-story complex across from The Maxwell. That additional approval means East Maxwell Street, between Martin Luther King Boulevard and Stone Avenue, will soon have more than 500 new apartments.
On the latest rezoned property, a private student housing developer based out of St. Louis is planning a 307-unit, 825-bed apartment building. During planning commission meetings in the approval process, neighbors voiced concern about the project’s impact to parking, traffic and the area’s character.
Development by private apartment management companies catering to college students is on the rise in Lexington. A building on South Upper Street and a second on Virginia Avenue, built by the same company, have opened in recent years.
The same St. Louis developer proposed a different complex on South Limestone in August 2024, but necessary zoning changes were voted down.
The Herald-Leader previously reported homeowners near UK continue to have gripes with rising enrollment causing an increase in construction of high-rise, private apartments. Later this fall, the university says it is expecting to hit a record enrollment with approximately 36,700 students .
A university spokesperson told the Herald-Leader this summer the school was invested in student housing. It has more than 8,000 residence hall beds on campus and is planning to add nearly 650 more in a new dorm by 2026. In fall 2024, a university spokesperson said about 85% of the school’s freshmen lived on campus, a percentage consistent for several years.
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