A rendering of The Opus Group's student housing project near the University of Kansas.

LAWRENCE, KS—The Opus Group reports that construction has begun on a new three-story, mixed-use student living community on the edge of the University of Kansas campus here. The building, to be completed by July 2020, will include 120 residential units accommodating 312 residents, as well as 8,200 square feet of retail.

The project is a joint venture with The McKinney Fund & Company, with Central Bank of St. Louis and Central Bank of the Midwest providing the construction financing for the project. Opus is the developer, design-builder, the architect, structural engineer of record and interior designer on the project. No financial details of the project were released.

“It's exciting to see the continued growth of Opus' Student Living platform as we begin construction on our newest project in Lawrence,” says Ben Angelo, senior director, real estate development, at Opus. “This project will help meet the demand of an underserved market for student housing and provide the residents and the community with the best-in-class living and retail experience that Opus prides itself on delivering. Additionally, we are confident that it will serve as a catalyst for continued redevelopment of the 23rd Street Commercial Corridor, which will further enhance our project and the surrounding community.”