St. Ambrose University engaged Volz Company to update a Market and Demand Analysis and Financial Analysis and validate recommendations to replace an aged residence hall with high deferred maintenance costs as well as to provide more single bedroom units to meet the students’ needs.

Housing plays a significant role in the experience of students at SAU. It is perceived as the envy of the competition and SAU administrators would like to maintain this reputation. Through an interactive Strategic Objective Identification with campus leadership, it was identified that the leading priorities for student housing are recruitment and retention, student engagement, and diversity and inclusion.

Volz Company used a variety of investigative and information gathering tools. Volz Company interviewed University stakeholders, toured the residential facilities, conducted student focus group sessions, reviewed enrollment data, examined the off-campus rental housing market, reviewed student housing options at peer institutions, launched and analyzed a campus-wide survey, and examined financial operating information. With this information, Volz Company updated the demand and gap analysis to validate the needs to replace the aged residence hall and provide more single occupancy units.
Based on the updated findings and our knowledge of similar university markets, we developed detailed financial models that showed the feasibility of different planning scenarios and the impacts of the new residence hall on the overall housing system. The models considered all factors that will affect the facility performance and summarized a 10-year projection of revenues, expenses, and net operating income utilizing various P3 potential terms.