With construction expected to begin in December on a new campus apartment complex, graduate students who will benefit from the $4.5 million project said they are thrilled to finally have their own quiet place to live near the University.
Law student Russa Kittredge said the new 70-unit complex — created exclusively for single graduate students — is ideal for older students who are serious about their studies, especially considering they don’t have many reasonable options close to campus.
“It’s a great idea. The University needs to do something to accommodate graduate students,” Kittredge said. “I’m sure it will fill if the price is reasonable.”
The apartments, scheduled to be completed by fall 2001, will be located just one block from the Knight Law Center between Moss and Villard streets on East 15th Ave.
“This is really exciting,” University Housing Director Mike Eyster said. “We need a better variety of products to offer single graduate students.”
The Campus Planning Committee and University President Dave Frohnmayer recently approved the project, which, if approved by the State Board of Higher Education on June 18, will be the first campus housing project in four decades. The final approval must come from the Legislative Emergency Board, which allocates state dollars when the full legislature is not in session.
Eyster said he is confident the project will get the go-ahead and construction will begin on time.
Damon Martichuski, a junior international studies and political science major who will likely attend the University for graduate studies, said an on-campus apartment for graduate students is a great idea.
“It is good to create alternative housing other than just the dorms,” he said. “So many students look for apartments [off campus] because they have no other options.”
The apartments will offer one bedroom and studio units, all with kitchens, and have the same high speed Internet access students in residence halls enjoy. Additionally, the rooms will be quieter than most apartments because materials that restrict sound transfer will be used in construction, Eyster said.
If approved, the complex will be financed with state bonds, which would be repaid with revenues generated by rental fees. Preliminary estimates put the rental rates around $600 to $700 a month, but that price may be a little high, Eyster said. While the exact rental fees have yet to be determined, they will be below market rates, he added.
Eyster also said residents would not necessarily need a car if they lived in the new complex because of the location.
The addition of the new graduate complex may set the stage for several other new housing projects on campus, Eyster said.
“Clearly something needs to be done,” he said. “We need to either replace or renovate the residence halls because frankly, the rooms are too small for two people.”