The site was previously occupied by Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Just Tyres. Credit: via Recognition PR

GMI breaks ground on £17m 131-bed York PBSA

7 April 2025 19:28 Sally Gibson Comments (0)

Developed alongside Urbium Capital and Harrogate-based Gregory Properties, the brownfield site on Foss Islands Road is the company’s third student accommodation project in the city.

The site was acquired early last year and the aim is for the accommodation to be ready in time for the start of the 2026/27 academic year.

The five-storey building will also have amenity areas, co-working study spaces, a gym, and landscaped courtyards.

Located on the edge of the city centre and equidistant from both the University of York and York St John, the scheme will help to address York’s PBSA shortage.

In 2023, York was named as having one of the worst shortages of PBSA in the country, exacerbated by rising student numbers, increased demand for residential rentals, and a growing trend among landlords to target short-term holiday lets.

GMI’s other student accommodation projects in the city consist of Rialto House, a £50m 275-bed development for Olympian Homes on the former Rialto cinema, and a £22m project for S Harrison Developments on James Street, which will deliver 303 beds.

Mick Spells, GMI’s project manager, said: “It’s a project that aligns perfectly with GMI’s commitment to delivering high-quality projects that benefit local communities. We look forward to bringing this scheme to life and making a positive contribution to the city’s student experience.”