CHICAGO — Mesa West Capital provided Austin-based developer LV Collective with $133.9 million in short-term, first mortgage debt to refinance Rambler Athens, a newly constructed 750-bed student housing complex adjacent to the University of Georgia, in Athens, GA. The four-year loan refinances the construction loan on the property, which was completed in August 2024 before the start of the 2024/2025 academic year.
The financing was arranged by Harrison Reid of TSB Capital Advisors.
Rambler Athens leverages a combination of a best-in-class amenity package, elevated finishes, and its strategic location adjacent to campus. The amenities at the design-forward community include a resort-style pool and hot tub, sun deck with jumbotron, fitness center, saunas, collaborative workspaces and study rooms, and a secured access parking garage. The ground floor also includes Daydreamer Coffee, a trendy café that enhances the property’s community-focused atmosphere.
The property has robust preleasing momentum for the 2025/2026 academic year with LV capitalizing on the strong student housing market at the University of Georgia and delivering a best-in-class product, according to Mesa West Executive Director Brian Hirsh, who led the origination team out of the private lender’s Chicago office, alongside Executive Director Russell Frahm in New York and Associate Jonah Sacks in Chicago.
“We continue to see a growing market opportunity in the student sector, driven by strengthening fundamentals. The University of Georgia has experienced healthy enrollment trends with a notable increase in applications in recent years,” said Hirsh. “LV delivers some of the most well-designed, highest quality product nationally and Rambler Athens showcases that.”
