Axium Fund Acquires Stake in KU Student Housing
An Axium Infrastructure fund agreed to acquire a 95 percent interest in an on-campus student housing project under construction at the University of Kansas.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Construction
A fund managed by Axium Infrastructure agreed to acquire a 95 percent interest in an on-campus student housing project at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Construction of the project started in June 2026.
Why it matters
The deal brings private infrastructure capital into university-adjacent student housing in Lawrence, a model that relies on long-term ground leases with the university. Local students and the surrounding community will be affected as the project moves toward completion.
The project comprises 199 units and 482 beds across two residential buildings, with Axium's fund acquiring 95 percent of the interest. The 99-year air rights lease term is set against an undisclosed purchase price.
The players
Axium Infrastructure
Axium Infrastructure is an infrastructure investment firm that manages funds acquiring stakes in long-term assets.
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university in Lawrence, Kansas, and the lessor under the project's air rights lease.
Asset Living
Asset Living is a student housing property management company retained to manage leasing and operations for the project.
The details
The project is located in the KU Gateway District and will operate under a 99-year air rights lease with the University of Kansas and its affiliates for purpose-built student housing. Asset Living has been retained as property manager to lead leasing and oversee staffing, maintenance, billing and collections.
Timeline
June 2026: Construction of the student housing project started.
2028-2029 academic year: The buildings are expected to open to students.
Market Landscape
The transaction follows a model in which universities lease campus air rights to private developers and investors for purpose-built student housing. It positions institutional infrastructure capital directly against traditional campus and off-campus housing providers in Lawrence.
Students who plan to live in the new buildings will be choosing among on-campus options that are not yet open, with the first residents expected for the 2028-2029 academic year. Renters in Lawrence may see the new supply factor into the local student housing market.
The takeaway
Long-term private capital is increasingly funding campus housing, which can add beds without direct university debt. Readers tracking Lawrence's housing market should watch how these new units affect rents near campus.
Further reading
Explore more on Construction to see how projects like this one are financed and built.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Institutional Real Estate, Inc..
