For undergraduates and graduate students wanting to live within walking distance of their University of Florida classes in the lap of luxury, there is perhaps no better choice than Royale Palms. Located right behind Norman Hall on the UF campus, Royale Palms is literally just steps from UF classrooms, study labs, libraries and sorority row. Add the long list of luxury amenities to the great location, and you’ll see that no other apartment complex in Gainesville offers such a convenient location or such luxurious settings.
Trimark Properties purchased the land for Royale Palms in 2002. After assembling an award-winning architectural, landscape, and interior design team, they began to draw up plans for the upscale infill development. The plot of land where Royale Palms was to be built, was located directly behind Norman Hall and the UF campus. The development team knew that the location would make it an ideal community for UF students and faculty who wanted to be able to walk to UF classes and skip the city bus system. After determining that the location would be ideal for UF professionals and students, the team met with a focus group and toured conventional apartment complexes in Gainesville, seeking to determine which amenities the prospective renters found the most appealing.
Several features found in competitive apartment complexes were quickly noted; renters preferred walk-in closets, private bathrooms for each bedroom (so that no bathroom sharing between roommates would be required), tall ceilings, alarm systems, attractive light fixtures, and warm neutral wall paint coloring. Research showed that the Gainesville rental market lacked apartment complexes built with high quality engineering and strong sound insulation. Additionally, the kitchens in most Gainesville apartment complexes were below the standards sought by renters, and though large balconies were strongly preferred by prospective tenants, most apartment complexes offered no balconies or very small balconies- and no balcony furniture where a tenant could relax and enjoy the Florida sunset.
As the Trimark Properties Development team looked over their research findings, they decided that certain amenities were in high demand but under supplied in Gainesville. Therefore, all Royale Palms apartments would include these luxury features, such as alarm systems, elevated ceilings, upgraded light fixtures, oversized porcelain tile, and designer neutral color scheme. Washers and dryers were added to every apartment floorplan. In many floorplans, the washer and dryer were placed within large laundry rooms inside of the apartment, where residents could store additional items and hang clothes. The kitchens were also an important consideration. The Trimark team decided that upscale, gourmet kitchens should be installed, with real-wood cabinetry, a full appliance set including dishwasher and space-saver microwave, and that the refrigerator should be full size (and not smaller, as found in many apartment complexes around town). In addition, to further enhance the culinary experience, Trimark pre-installed color TVs in each kitchen, and also added an elevated ‘breakfast’ bar, allowing residents to add barstools and make the kitchen a social gathering place within the apartment.
The final Royale Palms floorplans included 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3 bedroom apartments. To enhance the apartment experience for all roommates, Trimark decided on an overall community design where each bedroom within Royale Palms would act as a master suite, with its own privacy lock door, private upscale bathroom, oversized or walk-in closet, large window for abundant sunlight, garden shelf, and pre-installed ceiling fan. Each bedroom would also include cable, phone, and Hi-Speed Ethernet ports. In the 2 bedroom apartment design, Trimark decided to offer two different floorplans: one conventional 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom design and one “split” 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom design (where the bedrooms were located on opposite sides of the apartment, with the living room separating them, to allow the utmost privacy for each roommate). In the 3 bedroom / 3 bathroom luxury apartment, Royale Palms would offer a mixed design, where each bedroom angled off of the central living room, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere where all bedrooms were equally desired. In addition, the 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom floorplans would each include an oversized private balcony (or walk-up porch, for first floor apartments), with a upscale modern porch swing.
Royale Palms was completed in July 2003, and the first residents moved into the luxury apartments in early August of the same year. The apartment buildings boasted an attractive stucco exterior, overlooking the UF campus. On-site assigned parking awaited the residents, and many commented that the apartment complex offered a unique feel similar to “South Beach Florida”. In mid-2004, Trimark Properties won the much-coveted top honor in the City Beautification Awards for their Royale Palms development. Winning the City Beautification award established Trimark Properties' reputation as one of Gainesville's premier developers.
Royale Palms remains one of Trimark Properties most popular luxury apartment complexes. Due to the exceptional location, quality and amenity list, pre-leasing begins in November and December for move-in during August (of the following year). Prospective residents are highly encouraged to add their names to the Waitlist, in order to receive notification for when tours and lease-signing will begin. Because of the incredibly high renewal rate each year, only a few apartments within each floorplan become available. For interior photos, virtual tours, floorplans, and more, visit the Royale Palms Leasing Website.
