The University of Missouri-Kansas City is turning to private developers to build a $55 million apartment-style housing complex for students on land now occupied by the Twin Oaks Apartments.

Construction of the 514-bed Oak Street West development is scheduled to begin in October, and the units are expected to be ready for the fall 2008 semester.

This is the first time UMKC has turned to a private developer to build housing, and only the second time this has been done in the University of Missouri system.