Landmark Properties and Peninsula Investments Group Open 826-Bed Student Housing Community in Columbia, S.C.
Landmark Properties and Peninsula Investments Group Group have opened Narrative at Columbia, an 826-bed student housing community at 1050 Idlewild Boulevard in Columbia, South Carolina, with early move-ins beginning Aug. 1, 2026. The development, delivered in a cottage-style format, is the first of its kind to enter the University of South Carolina student housing market in recent years, according to the firms.
Project Details and Design
Narrative at Columbia comprises 197 units in a mix of two- to six-bedroom apartments, yielding 826 total beds. Athens, Ga.-based E + E Architecture designed the community, and Landmark Construction — the in-house construction arm of Landmark Properties — served as general contractor.
Each unit comes fully furnished and wired for cable and high-speed internet, with in-unit laundry, private bathrooms, and hardwood-style flooring throughout. Kitchens feature quartz countertops and stainless-steel appliances.
The community's amenity package includes a clubroom with a community kitchen, a resort-style outdoor pool with a sloped beach-entry feature and hot tub, a gaming lawn, a cabana and hammock grove, outdoor grilling areas, a sand volleyball court, and a Jumbotron. A wellness suite and 24/7 fitness center, private study rooms, an academic lounge, and a computer lab are also available. Onsite parking and a private shuttle to campus and around town round out the offering.
Partnership and Market Position
Narrative at Columbia was developed through a partnership between Landmark Properties, which serves as sponsor and operator, and Peninsula Investments Group, which participated as capital partner. The project reflects a strategy of delivering a differentiated product — cottage-style construction rather than a conventional mid-rise tower — in a major public university market.
"Landmark Properties is excited to open the doors at Narrative at Columbia and welcome our first residents to this incredible cottage-style community," said Jason Doornbos, Chief Development Officer of Landmark Properties. "This is the first new cottage-style community to come to the USC student housing market in recent years, and we've seen students respond well to the new community, its amenities, and its location."
"Narrative at Columbia reflects Peninsula Investments' continued commitment to delivering best-in-class student housing in high-growth university markets," said Juan Fernando Valdivieso, Managing Director of Peninsula Investments. "Partnering with Landmark Properties allowed us to bring a differentiated, cottage-style product to the University of South Carolina for the first time, and we're proud of the quality and thoughtfulness that went into every detail of this community. We look forward to seeing students make Narrative at Columbia their home for years to come."
Landmark's Growing Columbia Portfolio
With the opening of Narrative at Columbia, Landmark Properties now operates 2,264 student housing beds in the Columbia market. An additional 800 beds are under development in the market and are expected to open in fall 2027, the firm said.
Landmark Properties is headquartered in Athens, Ga., with offices in Atlanta, New York, and London. The firm manages more than $15 billion in assets under management across a portfolio of more than 115 residential communities totaling 74,000 beds. Its active development pipeline includes more than 50 student and multifamily projects under construction or near-term start, with an estimated value of more than $10 billion.
Peninsula Investments Group's Student Housing Strategy
Peninsula Investments Group, headquartered in Miami, Florida, specializes in the acquisition and development of student housing and residential projects in the United States, as well as residential developments across Latin America and the United Kingdom. The firm has invested in more than 41,000 beds within more than 14,000 units across 22 U.S. states and the United Kingdom. The Columbia project represents another deployment in what the firm describes as a focus on high-growth university markets.
Student housing communities typically require a lease-up period following initial delivery before reaching stabilized occupancy, which industry participants generally define in the range of 90% to 95%. For Narrative at Columbia, preleasing pace and occupancy performance during the first academic year will be key metrics for gauging the project's market reception.
Sources: Landmark Properties