JPI to Host DEP Training Session at Pennsylvania Student Housing Community

Environmental seminar at The Pointe is first of its kind in Pennsylvania

(State College, Pa.) September 14, 1999 -- JPI, one of the country's largest luxury apartment developers, announces the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has chosen The Pointe student housing construction site as the site of an inaugural study of pertinent soil and erosion issues. The Pointe, located less than two miles west of Pennsylvania State University, will host five DEP instructors and more than 100 soil conservation engineers and associates from every county in the state for a full day of training and examination on Wednesday, September 15.

"We are honored to be part of such a significant project with the DEP and so many of the state's soil conservationists," said Bud Brenner, project manager at The Pointe. "Through good earthwork practices and careful planning, the JPI team has been able to protect and enhance the environment while staying on schedule with this extremely large development. Team JPI wants to show the community that large-scale construction projects can be completed on time without damaging the environment."

Brenner also stated that Sweetland Engineering designed the project and Bruce Kirpatrich did an outstanding job engineering a site so intricate and complex to the DEP's specifications.

The site was chosen because it meets all criteria for urban and rural site construction. The construction involves temporary and permanent detention basins, silt fencing, rock channels, diversions, filters and all basic challenges for sediment and erosion control on a large-scale project. The site also involves wetlands, stream encroachments and a variety of control measures.

"This site is a particularly good training example," said Jim Coslo of the Centre County Soil Conservation District. "The instructors will be located throughout the site and the engineers will rotate between stations to study specific erosion and sedimentation issues."

"It is crucial to take prudent measures to protect the environment from excessive erosion that may occur as a result of the construction," said Angelo Fish of Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc., a local site contractor. "Both the contractor and the DEP need to work together to ensure that proper preventative measures are in place before a problem develops."

Construction requires that the land is prepared by stripping the surface soil and leveling the land through cut and fill measures. Erosion run-off is addressed through the land inclusion of a permanent detention facility which will capture excess rain from the site and store it in an environmentally-friendly pond. The pond allows the sediments to settle and then the excess water will be discharged off-site as a controlled flow.

The Pointe, located off Vairo Boulevard, east of Waddle Road and two blocks from North Atherton Street, is an apartment community designed specifically for college students and will have 294 units. The Pointe, which is expected to be completed by August 2000, is part of JPI's student housing community known as Jefferson Commons. All Jefferson Commons apartments are fully furnished and rented by the bedroom. JPI will serve as the construction manager for The Pointe, which will be built on 25 acres.

In 1998, JPI opened three Jefferson Commons communities for students in Tempe, Ariz., Tallahassee, Fla. and Lubbock, Texas. JPI also broke ground on new student communities in Tucson, Ariz., Orlando, Fla., Lawrence, Kan., Baton Rouge, La. and San Marcos, Texas that will open in fall 1999. The surge in development serves the strong demand for student apartments in key markets and is fueled by a $470 million investment venture between JPI and GE Capital.

JPI is one of the nation's largest multifamily developers. The Dallas-based company currently provides property management and leasing services for more than 24,000 apartment homes. JPI has 13,386 apartment homes currently under development and construction in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. JPI is also pursuing new developments and acquisitions nationwide.

In 1998, JPI broke ground on more than 9,935 apartment homes, sold 4,425 apartment homes and acquired 840 apartment homes. JPI's plans for 1999 include starting 25 new developments. The venture between JPI and GE Capital will build and acquire multifamily communities across the country and is expected to generate approximately $2.2 billion in new development. Builder magazine named JPI the nation's second largest apartment builder in 1998.