Enrollment is up at area colleges and universities. James Madison University is projecting the number of students to increase by about 2,500 in the next five years.

The school is in the middle of a couple construction projects to start meeting that need, and area developers are also trying to take advantage of the growth.

A new high-rise apartment on Port Republic Road is moving at a quick pace and could start a trend in Harrisonburg.

Hammond Asset Management is putting up a new six-floor high rise called 865 East. They're targeting JMU students because of the school's projected undergraduate population growth.

"Harrisonburg doesn't really have much developing area around, so high-rises are really the only way to go," says Kehris Simmers, field contracts administrator for Hammond Asset Management.

On-campus, the school is constructing a new dorm that will house about 400 students, set to open next year. They are also putting up a new dining hall.

School officials say the university's growth isn't just among undergrads, because the numbers of graduate and non-degree seeking students are also going up.

"It's important when you grow that you have the appropriate resources to support the growth," says JMU spokesperson Don Egle. "And so there's a number of factors that go into the growth conversation."

The state is expecting more high school students to be college bound over the next few years. School officials say JMU is among several public schools that will feel the effects of that.

"But at the end of the day, [the school] does believe it has a responsibility to help the Commonwealth meet that need," says Egle.

As more students come to Harrisonburg, projects like 865 East could become much more common.

"This is the start of a new market," says Simmers. "And, we hope that it takes off and we, as well as anybody else in the area, can be successful."

University officials say there aren't any plans right now for more on-campus housing, but they are planning to renovate a few older dorms in the coming years.

Managers of 865 East expect the apartments to open in August 2009. They're also already planning another high-rise for off-campus students.