On Tuesday, the City of Orlando’s Creative Village Development Review Committee unanimously approved plans for a 15-story student housing project to have a mix-use for students attending University of Central Florida/Valencia College Downtown.

Ustler Development and KUD International will develop the project where students will live and learn in the ‘urban bustle’ of downtown’s Creative Village.

Developers say the building will feature a dramatic mix of facades dominated by glass on the first five floors. About 600 beds, a 600-space parking garage, offices, retail and restaurant space on the ground floor and 105,000 square feet of education space will be available to the 7,700 students who attend the campus.

“The downtown campus will be more than a collection of iconic buildings. It represents authentic access to learning experiences and credentials that will improve the quality of life for our students and community,” President of Valencia College West Campus Felicia Williams said.

Both UCF and Valencia will lease the education space, Ustler confirmed, where Valencia’s Walt Disney World School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. Student support services, financial aid and advising, and student recreational space will be included in the project.

“Education has always been a critical component of the Creative Village vision,” Ustler said.

“Our project will be integrated with the downtown campus, and we see a unique opportunity where students are going to be walking across the street to go to class and then coming back to the student housing where they live – and they may attend class in the building as well.”

The project will be located within the Creative Village on the corner of Livingston Street and Terry Avenue. Final approval will come from City Council in the next few weeks.

“We are committed to providing students with a full-service campus experience on Day One, and this student housing and academic space from Ustler and KUD will ensure a 24/7 vibrancy when the campus opens in 2019,” UCF Vice Provost for UCF Downtown Thad Seymour, Jr. said.

Construction will begin Fall 2017 with completion coming in August 2019, which follows the completion date of the downtown campus’ main academic building – the Dr. Phillips Academic Commons.

Groundbreaking for the UCF/Valencia downtown campus will take place on Thursday, May 11.