A marketing sponsorship agreement launched at the end of 2023 makes Presidential City Apartments the official off-campus housing partner of SJU Athletics.
The four-building complex is located at 3900 City Ave., neighboring Panera Bread and Target. Each building is 12 stories tall, with 1,050 total units.
“Presidential City will have a prominent branding presence at home athletics events at Hagan Arena and Sweeney Field as well as traditional media such as digital, radio and social media integration,” Kevin Levy, the university’s general manager of corporate sponsorships, wrote in response to written questions from The Hawk.
Levy said through this partnership, Presidential City receives marketing and branding benefits to connect them with students. The agreement was negotiated by Van Wagner, the sales representative for corporate marketing and sponsorships for SJU Athletics, and Mack Property Management, who represented Presidential City.
Presidential City’s Preferred Partner Program offers multiple benefits for St. Joe’s students, faculty and staff, including waived application fees, a waived $350 administrative fee, a security deposit discounted to $99 and a $500 discount on the first month of rent. The program has “always existed” for faculty and staff, Williams said, but was extended to students in November 2022.
The campaign has largely been promoted at men’s and women’s basketball games at Hagan Arena, featuring giveaways, commercials and the Hoops for Housing free-throw contests at halftime, where students can enter to win $100 credit towards rent for every free throw they make in 40 seconds, or 12 months of free rent if they make 12 baskets.
Winnie Williams, leasing manager at Presidential City, said there’s been an increase of student interest since the partnership initiated, with 17 tours of the complex hosted so far. Williams said amenities like the gym, dry sauna, lounge areas, pools and hot tubs are particularly appealing for people. Additionally, ever since the university announced a lack of on-campus housing for juniors and seniors on Hawk Hill for next year, Presidential City has been an increasingly logical option for student housing, Williams said.
“Here at Presidential City, we offer a lifestyle of amenities unlike any other industries in the vicinity,” Williams said. “You have more of a resort style of living while you go to college.”
LaNyah Sabb-Toombs ’27 first learned about Presidential City from their Hoops For Housing halftime contests, then decided to take a tour. She later learned she had entered a raffle for an iPad by touring and won.
“I thought it was a big scam until I actually went to go get the iPad,” Sabb-Toombs said, who did not end up renting an apartment.
Maddy McPhillips ’23 PharmD ’25 toured Presidential City in February. Shortly after signing a lease in March, she received an email notifying her that she won $1,000.
“Buying stuff for an apartment can be expensive, so it’s just something nice to help decrease that financial burden,” McPhillips said.
According to the university’s off-campus housing web page, studios are currently available from $1,440 to $1,853, one-bedroom apartments from $1,672 to $3,680, two-bedroom apartments from $2,406 to $3,730 and three-bedroom apartments from $2,984 to $5,328.
George Worthington ’24, who has lived in a studio apartment at Presidential City since his junior year, said while Presidential City is more expensive than other off-campus housing options near Hawk Hill, he believes the amenities are worth it.
“It is on the pricey side,” Worthington said. “But, to be honest with you, a lot of one-bedroom apartments in the area cost just as much as a studio here, so it evens out.”
