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Gather Illinois, Rael Development Corporation
Gather Illinois (Gather) is a mixed-use development comprised of student housing apartment units including 370 beds and 32 extended-stay hotel rooms. This unique model provides residents and their guests with the same spacious and luxurious apartment living available for residential leasing.
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Challenges
With a significant international student population, offering flexibility and accommodation options was crucial to the community’s success during a global pandemic. For those residents, one of our greatest challenges was how to make this property feel more like home.
- Training staff
- Updating onsite amenities
- Marketing to our target audience during a pandemic
Our Approach
The incorporation of a mixed-use hotel component within the Gather community ultimately was designed to benefit our residents. The guest suites also service the nearby medical school and center, house those visiting for campus events and game days, as well as provide short-term rental options for faculty, staff, interns, and study abroad students.
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The Results
- Staff became well versed in the leasing of mixed-use property
- Access to unique 24-hour amenities
- Sought out a place to stay at due to the “at home” feel
- Increased resident satisfaction with the additional perks included
- Differentiated from other student housing properties in the market