Company backed by Derek Jeter building 68-unit luxury hotel near University of Alabama

ALUM, a luxury hospitality company focused on college towns, today announced its official launch, with Tuscaloosa set to be its first location.

ALUM Tuscaloosa is in development with groundbreaking expected in the coming weeks, according to a news release.

The 116,000-square-foot project will include 68 luxury condo-hotel units, a private members’ club, rooftop lounge, chef-curated dining, meeting and event spaces, and a pool.

ALUM chose the city, home to the University of Alabama, for its fans, known as “one of the most devoted college fan bases in the country,” according to the release.

Founded by veterans from the hospitality, real estate and sports industries, ALUM plans to scale to 30 to 40 developments across college towns nationwide.

The company owns a site at the University of Oregon and is in negotiations with Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Notre Dame, according to the release.

“I’ve been developing real estate for thirty years, and I’ve never seen demand this obvious sit unserved this long,” said Paul Brenneke, co-founder of ALUM.

“Every one of these towns has tens of thousands of people showing up on a Saturday and hospitality built for a different era. What’s changed is that the capital finally sees college towns as year-round markets instead of six home games.”

Each property will feature a members’ clubhouse with food and beverage programs curated by local chefs, along with year-round programming, the release said.

Condo purchasers receive Clubhouse membership, and a limited number of memberships are available to non-residents.

Baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter joined as brand ambassador, board advisor and investor.

“Growing up in Michigan shaped who I am — the pride, the community, the way that connection never leaves you,” Jeter said.

“ALUM gets that and is focused on creating a place that honors what these towns already mean to millions of people and giving them somewhere to celebrate it year-round.”

David Vialli, CEO and co-founder, said the company aims to fill a gap in college communities.

“These communities already owned the identity, tradition, loyalty and connection that great hospitality brands spend years trying to cultivate, yet there wasn’t a worthy destination that reflected the strength of that passion,” he said.

ALUM partnered with Legends, a global premium experiences company, to operate its private clubs and manage relationships with university and athletic leadership, according to the release.

The company plans to announce additional ambassadors and partners as it expands into new markets.