Developments

AHF Announces 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards Winners

By Christine Serlin Sep 14, 2026 10:30am

An underutilized municipal site in the heart of Hollywood, Florida, has been transformed into a model for affordable, transit-oriented development. With 216 affordable apartments, a college campus, retail space, and infrastructure designed to support a future transit hub, University Station is not only Housing Trust Group's (HTG’s) largest development to date but also a blueprint for how cities can tackle housing affordability, workforce needs, and smart growth in a single project.

University Station features 216 income-restricted apartments serving households earning between 22% and 80% of the area median income anchored by a 12,210-square-foot campus for Barry University’s College of Nursing and Health Services. In addition, the development comprises 2,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and a 635-space parking garage for both residents and the public, designed to support the planned Broward Commuter Rail South Station at the adjacent intersection.

HTG president and CEO Matt Rieger says it’s a shining example of public-private partnerships done right, and he credits the city of Hollywood for its collaboration on maximizing the value of the land, which sits along the Dixie Highway Corridor, connecting cities throughout South Florida, and adjacent to the commuter rail line operating between Miami and Orlando.

“The city of Hollywood was an incredible partner in this. They were forward-thinking in recognizing that this was a future transit-oriented site, and they had to build the capacity for that—both in terms of residential units but also the infrastructure, like the public-private parking garage,” says Rieger. “We didn’t just build 216 apartments. We transformed an underutilized public site into a community asset that brings together housing, education, healthcare, retail, and future transit connectivity. It’s a great example of what’s possible when the public and private sectors share a common vision for creating long-term value for a community.”

University Station has been selected as the overall winner in Affordable Housing Finance’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards. Magazine and newsletter subscribers also voted it as the top development in the mixed-use category.

At its core, University Station is helping address the affordability crisis in one of the nation’s most cost-burdened markets. According to Rieger, the crisis has been supercharged with the in-migration during the pandemic.

Completed in April 2025, the development reached 100% occupancy almost immediately, after receiving over 3,500 applications in its first weeks of leasing. All residential units are restricted for 99 years, nearly double the 50-year statutory affordability requirement, ensuring long-term housing stability.

“South Florida’s housing affordability challenges, specifically in Broward County, are well-documented, and people are looking for high-quality housing in locations that connect them to jobs, services, transportation, and opportunity. University Station delivers all of those things in one place,” says Rieger.

University Station serves a range of residents from the workforce to young families and seniors. In addition, the inclusion of Barry University’s College of Nursing and Health Services on-site further strengthens the development’s connection to the local student population and workforce pipeline.

One resident, who also is a nursing student at Barry University, shares how the community feels like home. “This place is a great fit and is local to everything. You have the downtown, you have the beach, and work is pretty close to the area. Having the stability of living here works out so much, especially with my income, because everyday living is so expensive.”

Designed by Corwil Architects and built by ANF Group, the development, which sits on 2.5 urban acres, required disciplined innovation. A pedestrian bridge connects the two residential towers, and vertical stacking of uses maximizes density while preserving ground-floor activation and walkability. The development features balconies, resort-style amenities, and modern interiors.

University Station also demonstrates environmental stewardship, with the residential structures earning silver-level National Green Building Standard certification. It boasts energy-efficient appliances and LED lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and high-efficiency HVAC systems. In addition, the landscape design by Witkin Hults + Partners incorporates native and drought-tolerant plants that reduce irrigation demand.

Rieger also notes University Station was a lesson in persistence for HTG. The $100 million development received broad community support and assembled an intricate capital stack, including nine funding sources spanning federal low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs), five state loan programs, a Broward County gap loan, subordinate debt from the city, and parking infrastructure loans. Bank of America served as both the LIHTC investor and bond purchaser, streamlining construction financing. Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments syndicated the LIHTC equity. According to Rieger, this structure allowed the development to absorb cost inflation during one of the most volatile construction periods without sacrificing affordability targets or reducing unit count.

DEVELOPER: Housing Trust Group
ARCHITECT: Corwil Architects
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: ANF Group
MAJOR FUNDERS: Florida Housing Finance Corp.; Broward County; city of Hollywood; Bank of America; Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments

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Affordable Housing Finance will go more in depth about University Station and two other winning developments during a behind-the-scenes webinar sponsored by Citi Community Capital on Sept. 29. AHF’s Readers’ Choice Awards winners also will be celebrated at AHF Live, Nov. 16 to 18, in Chicago.