Warner Norcross + Judd LLP served as legal counsel to Gilbane Development Company in its role as developer for Eastern Michigan University to design and build two new student housing facilities, renovate eight existing housing facilities and demolish seven others.
EMU’s “Welcome Home 2025” housing initiative is an innovative public-private partnership project that resulted in the issuance of revenue bonds in an amount not to exceed $212 million to finance the renovation of 2,000 student beds and the addition of 700 new beds. EMU engaged students throughout the design process for this transformative project that will keep student housing affordable while ensuring a high-quality resident experience at Michigan’s second oldest public university.
“The Eastern Michigan University partnership is an exemplary model of how public-private partnerships can efficiently deliver public facilities in collaboration with the private sector while prioritizing the needs of all stakeholders,” said Geoff Eisenacher, senior development director with Gilbane Development Company.
Warner attorneys assisted in all aspects of the project, including negotiating and preparing the project agreements that included pre-development, lease, turnkey development, construction management, design-build, property management, infrastructure and various financing and nonprofit agreements.
“We congratulate Eastern Michigan University and Gilbane on finalizing this complex, one-of-a-kind P3 project,” said David C.C. Eberhard, a Warner partner who led the firm’s effort. “By utilizing a unique P3 structure, EMU receives the benefits of a world-class living and learning environment for students and staff without having to undertake the upfront investment and ongoing maintenance needs on its own.”
Members of Warner’s Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnerships Group who participated on the Gilbane project team included Eberhard (real estate and construction law), Rob M. Davies (finance and infrastructure law), Bruce C. Young (corporate and regulatory law), Jason L. Byrne (higher education and insurance law), Christopher Predko (construction and regulatory law) and David W. MacDonald (real estate and corporate law).
About Warner
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