3 minute read
Redefining Student Housing in Downtown Newark
BY BOBBY JUDGE
MERIDIAN ON MAIN represents a pioneering shift in the landscape of student housing. Located at 134 East Main Street in Newark, Delaware, this development is an innovative approach to addressing the needs of the modern student community at the University of Delaware. Touted as the only purpose-built student housing development on East Main Street, Meridian on Main is designed to enhance the student living experience, focusing on quality, convenience, and community integration. Its strategic location and cutting-edge features set a new standard for student housing, making it a model for future developments in Newark.
The challenge with the existing 134 East Main Street property was to rethink and repurpose an underutilized mixed-use building located in the heart of Downtown Newark. The original 20,000-square-foot building included approximately 5,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, with residential units on the second floor. The façade of the original building was encased in vinyl lap siding, which was a stark contrast to the primarily brick architecture found throughout the rest of Main Street.
The solution for Meridian on Main was a comprehensive redevelopment, including a complete overhaul of the existing structure to create a state-of-the-art student housing facility. The new 60,000-square-foot, five-story mixeduse building, designed by Architectural Alliance and built by Bancroft Construction, will contain 31 units atop retail and amenity spaces. The front of the development will blend seamlessly with neighboring buildings, featuring face brick and storefronts on the ground floor, with EIFS brick and smooth EIFS on floors two through five. The portion of the building that fronts Main Street will emphasize a colonial look, highlighted by a mansard roof with four dormers.
The new building structure features an Ecospan® Composite Floor System, an innovative, simple, effective, and economical method of providing allsteel, open-web structural components for elevated floor construction while incorporating the benefits of lighter-weight composite design. “The Ecospan® system is a perfect product for this development,” says Steve Griffin, multifamily project executive for Bancroft Construction. He further explains, “It provides a non-combustible structure, which is required for this project, while the high strength-to-weight ratio of composite steel joists allows for greater spans and spacing with lighter members.”
The impact of Meridian on Main extends far beyond its physical transformation. The project addresses a pressing need within the student community by offering high-quality, purpose-built housing designed to meet the specific needs of university students. This development brings a new level of sophistication to student living, with amenities that support both academic success and personal well-being. By reimagining an underutilized building and addressing the specific needs of students, this development sets a new benchmark for student living, combining modern amenities with a strategic location to create a thriving community hub.
We’re excited to be part of the continuous evolution of Main Street Newark. We’re looking forward to seeing how this transformative development shapes off-campus student housing for years to come.”
Bobby Judge is a business development manager at Bancroft Construction.
