A small-scale, student-focused apartment community could be going vertical in the coming months.

Called the Lofts at Randall, plans call for a three-story, 18-unit apartment building to rise on 1.75 acres south of the intersection of Randall Parkway and Kerr Avenue.

Barb Lambert, owner and president of Wilmington-based B.J’s Construction that’s developing the project, said that pending permit approval, her firm hopes to begin construction on the project by December.

In September, the Wilmington City Council granted the firm’s rezoning request to multifamily-low density residential conditional district.

Lambert said the goal was to have the apartment building complete by the start of the 2013-14 school year to market the property to perspective University of North Carolina Wilmington students.

“We’re hoping to have it done by June so we can start preleasing it to students,” Lambert said. “It’s a great location. Students will be able to walk across the street and be at UNCW within minutes.”

Each of the 18 units will include three bedrooms and three bathrooms, with a common kitchen and living room area. Other amenities include a cornhole court and sheltered picnic area.

The Lofts at Randall joins a growing collection of new student-centered apartment developments along Randall Parkway

Adam Sosne – a local developer who specializes in multifamily student housing, apartment management and some single-family home development – started construction on his 104-unit development near the intersection of Greenway Avenue and Lullwater Drive.

Called Camden Forest, plans call for the development of one 48-unit garden style apartment building and 56 townhomes – bringing a total of 264 bedrooms available for future renters. The site will also include fully furnished bedrooms, a clubhouse, pool and park space.

Construction also continues on Roanoke, Va.-based University Housing Group’s $28 million Carolina Cove apartment complex. Plans include 84 two-bedroom units and 144 three-bedroom units.

And Chicago-based Core Campus LLC is considering purchasing 6.6 acres at the intersection of Pepys Lane and Randall Parkway where the University Arms Apartments currently sit to build The Hub at UNCW.

Core Campus officials are proposing to demolish the nearly 40-year-old structure and replace it with a four-story, 124-unit development also targeting student renters.