Construction is nearly complete for a new apartment complex — set to launch in mid-August — near campus. The complex is geared toward CSUN students and its developers expect full occupancy despite the university offering few in-person classes in the fall.

The new housing option, called Aspire Northridge, comes as CSUN’s student housing plans are limited to safeguard against coronavirus transmission.

Robert Lopata, president and co-founder of LB Property Management, which manages the new complex, believes students have chosen to stay near campus to live a full college experience.

“I’ll be honest. We were a little bit concerned that the students would all go home,” said Lopata, whose company also manages six other properties near the campus. “But we were pleasantly surprised by the fact that they didn’t leave, they stayed in the apartments and sheltered-in-place there.”

Even though CSUN’s fall semester will offer limited face-to-face classes, LBPM does not foresee a negative impact to Aspire Northridge nor the other properties they manage near the campus.

Lopata is optimistic that Aspire Northridge will be successful due to the limited on-campus housing at CSUN. LBPM has a waitlist of tenants who have displayed an interest in Aspire Northridge.

“Many students are saying, ‘I’m not going to let the coronavirus rob me of these few precious years of being a student,’” Lopata said.

In an email sent out to students on July 6, CSUN Student Housing announced its occupancy plan for fall 2020, which includes offering approximately 1500 bed spaces — half its typical number — in order to facilitate an environment that promotes physical distancing and other public health guidelines. Students will be offered bed space according to a three-tier system based on their housing needs.

Project developers for Aspire Northridge anticipate full occupancy once the new housing development launches in mid-August and have accommodated for social-distancing measures within the layout of the facility. The establishment, which is located on the northwest corner of Nordhoff Street and Darby Avenue, caters to CSUN students who are looking for the convenience of living close to campus.

Construction on Aspire Northridge began in early 2019, after the Los Angeles City Planning Commission approved the project in June 2017. The complex, managed by LBPM, is a five-story building that features 146 luxury-style apartments and a subterranean parking structure. It will sit above 2,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

Despite the anticipation to predominantly house CSUN students, the complex, which features special student pricing and roommate matching, will also be open to the general public.

Rent by the bed starts at $995 for an unfurnished unit that includes a kitchen with stainless steel appliances and utilities, including electricity and Wi-Fi. In comparison, on-campus student housing starts at $1003 for an apartment double with a kitchen.

Additional information can be found at the complex’s website.