Student halls specialist develops £300m pipeline

Purpose built student accomodation developer GSA has recruited a team to help lead its £300m construction programme across the UK.GSA is planning to build accommodation for more than 3,000 students in Birmingham, Cambridge, Portsmouth and Plymouth by the end of 2019. Christian Davis and Kenny Oke, both chartered surveyors, will lead GSA’s UK real estate team.Kenny Oke has been appointed head of construction and will oversee the procurement and delivery of GSA’s UK development sites. Previously at Threesixty Developments, Mr Oke was involved in the acquisition and delivery of more than 4,000 student beds across the UK.Christian Davis has been appointed as head of acquisitions and will be responsible for delivering GSA’s UK target of providing 20,000 student beds in the next five years. More than 8,000 are so far either secured or committed.In September 2016, GSA acquired a portfolio of 3,634 operational beds from The Student Housing Company. It also acquired a construction pipeline of 3,213 beds across six cities, with a gross development value in excess of £300m.GSA is headquartered in Dubai and is the owner-operator of student accommodation in Australia, China, Dubai, Germany, Ireland, Japan and the UK. The man behind it is Nicholas Porter, who is something of a pioneer in the purpose built student accommodation industry, having founded both Urbanest and the Unite Group.GSA sites now under development are:Bentley House, Birmingham, is being built by Pochin Construction and will provide 534 student beds from July 2017Catherine House, Portsmouth, is being built by McAleer & Rushe and will provide 1,000 student beds from August 2017Beckley Point, Plymouth, is being delivered by Kier and will provide 507 student beds from August 2017.217 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, is on site with Watkins Jones and is planned for delivery in summer 2018, providing 219 student beds.GSA sites currently in planning and procurement stages are:130-138 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth, is planned for delivery in summer 2019 and will provide 403 student beds21 Lansdowne Road, Bournemouth, is planned for delivery in summer 2019 and will provide 550 student beds.On completion, all sites will be operated under GSA’s brands – either The Student Housing Company or Uninest.