Luxury Dorm Financed With Muni Bonds Falls Into Bankruptcy

  • Trustee plans to make June debt payment from reserves
  • Housing project included swimming pool, scooter parking spots
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
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The operator of a student housing complex built for University of Florida students fell into bankruptcy, the latest municipal-bond financed project in fiscal crisis amid the coronavirus fallout.

Midtown Campus Properties LLC sold $78 million in unrated taxable municipal bonds in 2019 for the 310-unit facility in Gainesville, Florida. The mixed-use complex, whose website promises an “elite” experience for students, was set to include parking spaces for scooters, a resort-style swimming pool, fitness center and arcade with one-bedroom apartments renting for $1,380 per month, bond documents show. Instead, the operator filed for Chapter 11 last week, less than 16 months after selling bonds.