Rooftop pool, Esports lounge, fitness center: 679-bed project planned near NC State
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- A 679-bed Signature at Varsity student housing project is planned near NC State.
- The building will include rooftop pool, Lenovo Esports lounge, and fitness center.
- The development aims to meet rising demand amid student enrollment growth.
A 679-bed student housing project is rising across from N.C. State’s Greek Village, just off Western Boulevard in Raleigh.
Developed by Preiss, a Raleigh-based student housing developer and one of the nation’s largest privately held owner-operators, Signature at Varsity will anchor the Crest Road corridor on the east side of campus.
Among its offerings: a rooftop pool, two-story fitness center, and a “first-of-its-kind” Lenovo-branded Esports lounge.
The developer says the project responds to growing demand for “walkable, high-amenity” housing near NC State, where enrollment growth and limited on-campus beds have pushed more students into the surrounding neighborhoods.
“Raleigh is among the most dynamic university markets in the country,” said Jeff Bartholomew, executive vice president at Preiss.
“As a Raleigh-based company, this project represents a significant investment in our home market to meet the housing needs.”
It’s the latest entry in a student-housing boom, where new buildings are getting larger, more amenity-rich and increasingly expensive — routinely topping $1,200 to $1,400 per bedroom, according to Zillow — even as students say affordable options are becoming harder to find.
The developer hasn’t released pricing for the Crest Road project.
Preiss’ Raleigh portfolio spans older, lower‑cost student communities like Red Wolf Crossing at 10-73 Red Lane, alongside its new premium projects such as Signature 1505, which opened at 1505 Hillsborough St. in 2018, and Signature at Varsity.
Inside, its latest project will offer fully furnished studio to five-bedroom apartments with “hardwood-style” floors, granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances, and LED vanities, with some units adding patios, walk-in closets or glass-enclosed showers, the firm said.
The building will also feature smart-lock entry, “fiber to unit” internet, smart thermostats and EV charging. Shared spaces include study rooms, outdoor TV lounges, and storage for bikes and e-scooters.
It’s slated to open in the fall of 2027.
A growing need
Moody’s Analytics identifies NC State/Raleigh as one of the fastest‑rising students‑housing markets in the country, with rent growth that outpaces both the national student‑housing sector and the broader multifamily market.
According to a new study, student‑housing rents near NC State have increased 30.5% since 2020 — the highest jump among the Triangle’s major universities — as new luxury buildings continue to dominate the market. (Moody’s defined student housing as off-campus apartments where more than half of the tenants are college students.)
Other major new or recently delivered student-housing buildings near NC State include The Hub Raleigh, a 2,195-bed tower currently under construction at 111 Cox Avenue, scheduled to open in summer 2026; and The Standard at Raleigh, a 707-bed mixed use development on Hillsborough Street, completed in December 2019.
The latter is one of the most expensive students housing options near NC State. It set the tone for the luxury wave, offering a rooftop pool, high-end finishes, and a prime Hillsborough Street location. Current pricing at The Standard Raleigh ranges from about $899 to $1,885 per bedroom, depending on unit type, according to its website.
