The student housing project at App State’s Appalachian 105 property is one of several major projects underway at Appalachian State University to enhance the App State Experience.

The project supports App State’s strategic priorities, as well as and the university’s goals and metrics associated with the University of North Carolina System’s strategic plan. It will benefit students, academics and the community.

About

Mountaineer Ridge is a new App State student housing complex that is being developed at the Appalachian 105 property, which is located 1.5 miles from the university’s Boone campus, off Highway 105. An AppalCART bus route serves the site, providing access to the Boone campus.

The housing project is designed to meet increasing demand for on-campus housing from upper-division students (sophomores, juniors and seniors), including transfer students, providing privacy-focused apartments that are high quality and affordable. It will include up to 850 student housing beds in a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartment-style units, along with approximately 1,000 surface parking spaces and infrastructure for additional student support services.

The project is the latest in a series of public-private partnership (P3) housing developments at App State, including:

A 34-acre portion of the property has been developed into the Appalachian 105 Sports Complex, which consists of the Randy Marion Track and Field Facility, the new Sywassink/Lloyd Family Softball Stadium, a team support building and outdoor tennis courts, as well as an indoor tennis courts facility that is currently under construction.

App State began exploring development options for the Appalachian 105 site through three interactive listening sessions, held in January 2018, which allowed campus and community members to share ideas for the property’s use. Among the proposed development ideas: campus parking facilities, recreation space for both university and community use, a multipurpose venue for events, university athletics facilities, student and/or faculty and staff housing, an academic facility, outdoor educational space, and child and/or elder care facilities.

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Rendering of future Mountaineer Ridge housing at App State’s 105 site.

A conceptual rendering of what the student housing project at App State’s Appalachian 105 property in Boone could look like, once completed. The project, called Mountaineer Ridge, will include approximately 850 student housing beds in a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartment units, along with approximately 1,000 surface parking spaces, which are anticipated to be available in fall 2027. Graphic courtesy of RISE: A Real Estate Company and Niles Bolton Associates

Rendering of Mountaineer Ridge housing viewed from App State sports complex.

This artist’s rendering provides a view of the Mountaineer Ridge student housing project from the adjacent Appalachian 105 Sports Complex. The complex includes the Randy Marion Track and Field Facility, the new Sywassink/Lloyd Family Softball Stadium, a team support building and outdoor tennis courts, as well as an indoor tennis courts facility that is currently under construction. Graphic courtesy of RISE: A Real Estate Company and Niles Bolton Associates

Rendering of interior quad at Mountaineer Ridge student housing site.

An artist’s rendering of what an interior quad area at the Mountaineer Ridge student housing project might look like, once completed. The new App State student housing will be located at the university’s Appalachian 105 property, 1.5 miles from the Boone campus, and will include approximately 850 student housing beds in a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartment units. Graphic courtesy of RISE: A Real Estate Company and Niles Bolton Associates

Graphic showing future housing and sports complex at App State’s 105 site.

This graphic provides an aerial overview of App State’s Appalachian 105 property, depicting both the Appalachian 105 Sports Complex (shown at bottom of image) and the new Mountaineer Ridge student housing complex that is under construction adjacent to the sports complex (shown at top of image). Graphic courtesy of RISE: A Real Estate Company and Niles Bolton Associates

Status

At its April 2025 meeting, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors authorized the university to enter into ground lease and use agreements to develop the Mountaineer Ridge student housing complex. App State’s Board of Trustees approved the acquisition by lease on March 14, 2025.

Site preparation for the construction of the project began in May 2025, and construction is expected to be completed by fall 2027. Site demolition and erosion control were completed this summer and underground utilities installation is in progress. Additionally, work continues for the site’s retaining walls and workers are installing elevator pits and stair tower foundations for the housing facilities that will be constructed at the site.

A rezoning designation — from business-related to educational-related — for the student housing site was approved by the Boone Town Council and the Town of Boone Planning Commission in February 2025. At its May 6, 2025, meeting, the commission approved the university’s land release request for nearly 19 acres of the former Watauga High School site, which allowed App State to move forward with the student housing development.

A ground lease is an agreement in which a tenant is permitted to develop a piece of property during the lease period, after which the land and all improvements are turned over to the property owner. The university’s endowment, which owns the Appalachian 105 property, has entered into a 10-year ground lease with Mountaineer Ridge LLC — a company of the Appalachian Real Estate Development Corp., an affiliated, nonprofit entity of the university. Mountaineer Ridge LLC has entered into a development agreement with a private developer to build the housing complex and construct the associated parking spaces. The complex will be owned and managed by Mountaineer Ridge LLC, with App State being responsible for the operations and maintenance of the project. The university will assume ownership of the project at the end of the 10-year lease agreement.

App State is working with the following entities to develop the Mountaineer Ridge student housing complex:

  • Developer: RISE Development LLC
  • General contractor: Choate Construction
  • Architect: Niles Bolton Associates
  • Civil engineer: Thomas & Hutton

App State and the Town of Boone have received approval from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to have a traffic light installed at the Appalachian 105 property’s entrance along Highway 105, and the university is working to secure a contractor for the installation. This measure would help ease ingress and egress to the site, as well as assist in improving left turn safety at the intersection of Highway 105 and High School Drive.

Aerial view of construction at App State’s Appalachian 105 site for new student housing, Sept. 2, 2025.
Construction work for the new student housing project at App State’s Appalachian 105 property in Boone is shown in this aerial view, taken Sept. 2, 2025. Site preparation for the project’s construction began in May 2025, and construction is expected to be completed by fall 2027. Photo by Wes Craig and Troy Tuttle
Aerial view of storm sewer and foundation work at App State’s Appalachian 105 housing site, Aug. 19, 2025.
This aerial view, taken Aug. 19, 2025, shows construction progress on the new student housing project at App State’s Appalachian 105 property in Boone. Workers are installing the site’s storm sewer system, and work continues to form the elevator pits and install the stair tower foundations for the housing facilities that will be constructed at the site. Photo by Wes Craig and Chase Reynolds
Aerial view of demolition at App State’s Appalachian 105 site for future student housing, June 11, 2025.
This aerial view of App State’s Appalachian 105 property, taken June 11, 2025, shows the demolition underway for the site adjacent to the Appalachian 105 Sports Complex, which will be the future home of the new Mountaineer Ridge student housing project. Site demolition began in May 2025, in preparation for construction of the project. The new housing is expected to be completed by fall 2027. Photo by Wes Craig and Kyla Willoughby
Aerial view of demolition and sports complex at App State’s Appalachian 105 property, July 9, 2025.
An aerial view of App State’s Appalachian 105 property in Boone, taken July 9, 2025. Demolition work taking place at the site of the future Mountaineer Ridge student housing project is shown at center of the image, and components of the adjacent Appalachian 105 Sports Complex — the Randy Marion Track and Field Facility, the Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium and a team support building — are shown in the bottom half of the image. Construction work underway for the complex’s new indoor tennis courts facility is visible at bottom left corner of the image. Photo by Wes Craig and Troy Tuttle

How is it funded?

The student housing project at Appalachian 105 is estimated to cost up to $120 million and will be developed through a public-private partnership (P3) that does not rely upon state funds, or any capital from the university.

The P3 is made possible by the property’s millennial campus designation, which gives App State the flexibility to lease properties to private sector partners for development, secure financing for development of properties through bonds, and retain revenues earned by such leases.

Compared with the traditional construction process, public-private partnerships can achieve significant cost savings on large projects due to a streamlined agreement with one developer. The construction of four new residence halls on the west side of campus was estimated to have saved the university at least $70 million.

Who will benefit?

Upper-division App State students, including transfer students, will benefit from this student housing project. It is anticipated that adding additional beds to the university’s on-campus inventory should have a positive effect on the long-term rental housing market in the Boone area, helping balance the supply and demand.

How does it support App State strategic priorities?

This project aligns with App State’s 2022–27 strategic priority of cultivating a university community focused on advancing student success, through providing both support and campus resources.

Housing is critical in the recruitment, retention and persistence of App State’s students and their overall success at the university. In a recent survey, 85% of students said availability of housing was an important factor in their decision to remain at App State.

How does it support UNC System Goals and Metrics?

An enhanced campus designed with students, faculty, staff and the public in mind supports recruitment and retention of all members of the university and local communities.

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