NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.– GMH Communities (“GMH”) announced today the launch of a completely new vertical called “Innovative Living.” Innovative Living represents the collision of student and conventional housing; a Class A apartment community with technology, amenities, and services that were specifically designed to meet the unique needs of young professionals and graduate students working and learning in major innovation hubs throughout the country.
GMH has already broken ground on its first Innovative Living project, ANOVA uCity Square in Philadelphia, and plans are underway for the second called ANOVA Cortex in St. Louis, Missouri. “ANOVA” will be the flagship name for all Innovative Living projects GMH plans to develop within the Knowledge Communities of Wexford Science & Technology, LLC.
With the life sciences sector booming, Innovative Living is now filling a void for the professionals and students seeking housing that fits their atypical schedules. Innovative Living fosters a collaborative living environment with a “turnkey,” effortless lifestyle for these busy individuals with offerings such as packaged 1 gig secured wired and wireless internet and cable, 24/7 concierge, grocery and dry-cleaning services, co-working spaces, soundproof pods, pet care, and resident programming and events available during their off-hours.
Since 2019, GMH and Wexford have partnered to activate Wexford’s Knowledge Community platform with a residential component that meets the needs of today’s innovators and knowledge workers. The first such development was River House Apartments in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island’s Innovation and Design District. Wexford and GMH brought to life a vision that started with Brown University’s need for more graduate and medical student housing and elevated it into an exceptional living community that now benefits not only students, but all who live, work or study in the growing District.
“At GMH we’re constantly looking for ways to innovate, push boundaries, and do what hasn’t been done before. This approach has brought us over three decades of success in student housing, military housing, and conventional multifamily, and we’re ready to take our years of experience and apply it to the rapidly-growing life sciences industry where housing has historically been an afterthought,” said Gary M. Holloway Jr., President of GMH Communities. “Innovative Living is our company’s next chapter and brings the unique housing needs for the growing cohort of life sciences professionals and graduate students to the forefront with simplified, effortless services and amenities.”
In March 2021, GMH announced their plans for their first official Innovative Living community, ANOVA, in Wexford’s uCity Square development. The six-story apartment community is centrally located in Philadelphia’s University City neighborhood that’s budding with entrepreneurs, innovators, healthcare professionals, professors, and graduate students of nearby institutions. Slated to open in August, ANOVA features 461 smart apartment units, 14,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, a 2-level parking garage with 157 spaces, 12,500 square feet of amenity spaces for residents, and more. GMH and Wexford are seeing increased demand for such an offering in Philadelphia and another building is in the early planning stages.
Innovative Living communities will provide one-of-a-kind modern apartments, offering an array of comfortable floor plans (furnished or unfurnished) including studios and one- to three-bedrooms. Smart features providing greater connectivity include 1-gigabyte, high-speed secured wired and wireless internet in units and throughout the building; smart thermostats and lighting; keyless entry with a mobile video interactive intercom system; Luxer package system; and an EV-charging system. All units are designed with upscale features such as designer bathrooms with walk-in showers, in-unit washer and dryers, quartz countertops, and stainless-steel appliances.
All Innovative Living communities will be certified Fitwell buildings, providing residents access to state-of-the-art communal amenities geared towards promoting healthy lifestyles and a live-work blend. This includes expansive fitness centers with yoga and spin studios; courtyards with large pools and hot tubs; indoor and outdoor lounges; open co-working spaces; soundproof office pods for confidential meetings; a cyber cafe with complimentary coffee bar and beer taps; a golf simulator, dog washing stations, and more. Innovative Living residents will also have many perks to complement and add convenience to their live-work-play-learn-thrive lifestyles such as refrigerated delivery lockers, climate-controlled storage, grocery deliveries, a hospitality suite for out-of-town guests, dog walking, housekeeping, on-site car sharing, and laundry/dry cleaning services. The idea is that residents, if they choose, never need to leave their building.
