MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 13, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Education Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EDR) today announced that one of its student communities, Blazer Hall at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB), has been honored regionally by South Central Construction Magazine as the Best Education Project of 2006.
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The $31 million, 753-bed freshman community was developed by Allen & O'Hara Development Company, LLC, the development company subsidiary of EDR, with Academic Privatization, LLC, and was built on-time, on-budget and within 50 feet of both an adjacent dormitory and a separate active construction site by general contractor Hoar Construction Company of Birmingham, Alabama.
Construction started on Blazer Hall in March 2005. The eight-story residence hall opened in May 2006.
"We are grateful for the accolades UAB and its Blazer Hall development and construction team have received for this project," said William W. Harris, president of Allen & O'Hara Development. "They are the result of extraordinary cooperation and commitment from all involved throughout the process."
"Blazer Hall was designed, financed, built and managed by a private company on land leased from the university. The approach enabled UAB to provide desirable on-campus housing while allocating available resources to other priorities, such as faculty, research and education," said Harris. "Blazer Hall is a handsome, useful addition to campus and a prime example of the benefits of a privatized approach to on-campus housing."
Blazer Hall is managed by Allen & O'Hara Education Services, Inc., the real estate management company subsidiary of EDR.
Winners of the Best of 2006 were chosen by members of an eight-person panel, said Sam Barnes, senior editor of South Central Construction, which is part of The McGraw-Hill Companies information and media group. Decisions were based on a project's quality of construction or design, innovation, ability to overcome unique challenges and overall excellence.
Presently, Allen & O'Hara Development Company has nine student communities with 8,877 beds under construction or in development in five states.
About Education Realty Trust
Education Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EDR) is a self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust that owns, develops and manages high-quality student housing communities throughout the U.S. Led by a team with more than 170 years of shared industry experience, EDR is one of America's largest owners and operators of collegiate student housing. Its portfolio includes 40,742 beds at 66 communities in 21 states. For more information please visit the company's Web site at www.educationrealty.com.
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