Jason A. Smith | The Valdosta Daily TimesRISE employees working in the family room.

VALDOSTA — Since RISE’s rebrand from Ambling University Development Group it changed its location to the McCrory Building, and acquired sister company, Ambling Student Housing Management. 

RISE is a student housing management company that oversees building projects in 22 states. RISE finances, develops and manages student housing and multi-family assets. 

On Feb. 8, RISE was awarded a partnership with Louisiana State University for an on-campus project. The project will contain 4,500 beds and is set to be complete by 2021. RISE plans to break ground Oct. 1, 2016 and complete the first 1,550 beds by July 2018. 

The bid for the LSU project lasted for a year, but RISE rose to the occasion and landed the largest on-campus project in history, according to the company. 

RISE’s rebrand has been well accepted by the business community and by the general public, said President Greg Blais.

Blais said he enjoys the community feel of the new downtown location. 

Blais said he sometimes likes to sit out, in what he refers to, as the family room and watch people walk the streets of Valdosta. The family room is located toward the entrance of the building and has a large window with a street view of Downtown Valdosta.

The building is wifi capable and Blais encourages employees to enjoy the family room while they work. This comes with Blais’ policy on a casual work environment. 

Blais said by having a more casual work environment, employees will not only be more energized and productive at work, but also be excited to wake up and come to work in the morning. 

RISE has several speakers throughout the building to fill each room with light music that doesn’t interfere with conversations. Blais has control over the music from his office and said he enjoys listening to it in his office or in the family room while he works.

Along with the casual work environment, Blais has a deep respect for the historical side of the McCrory Building. When RISE first moved into the building, old sketches of the McCrory Building were found. RISE has taken the sketches and enlarged them to be used as decorations for the building’s interior walls.

Much of the wood in the family room and the front lobby was recovered from the original structure and reused to create a comforting atmosphere that still respects the history of the building, while maintaining a business-oriented design.

Blais said he has other tributes for the building planned for the future. Blais said there is still a little work to do on the building.

RISE has a portfolio of 41,000 beds, 7,600 parking spaces, 4,000 dining seats and 227,000 square feet of retail. 

RISE in Valdosta currently has 31 employees in the office, and the McCrory building will hold up to 39. 

Blais said, with a smile, there is room to grow. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1256.