Two new student housing complexes receive approval for fall construction

By RACHEL HOGAN
Collegian Staff Writer

A couple of large developers have their hands on land in Patton Township, and their eyes on students in State College.

Earlier this month, the Patton Township Board of Supervisors approved two student housing developments for construction on a tract of land beyond Wal-Mart, 1665 N. Atherton Place.

Completion of both developments, which are to be named University Commons and Jefferson Commons, is set for next fall.

University Commons will have 204 housing units, with room for about 696 students, said Jimmy Goodson, vice president of Capstone Development Corp. in Birmingham, Ala.

Rent will be about $270 per person for furnished four-bedroom apartments, and $325 per person for furnished two-bedroom apartments, he said. Deposits, equal to one month's rent, will be put into an interest-bearing account for the duration of the lease. The deposits will be returned to students, and the interest earned will be given to the University, Goodson said.

Construction should begin in about three to four weeks, he said.

Jefferson Commons is being developed by JPI of Dallas, with similar living situations. No spokesperson could be reached for comment.

The two developers stepped onto the tract of land about the same time, Goodson said, and will be working together only to purchase a traffic light. They are strictly competitors, moving in near an established student housing complex, the State College Park Apartments.

"I guess I'm not too happy about it," said Diane Lindberg, manager of the State College Park Apartments. Goodson has admitted that University Commons is designed similar to the State College Park Apartments.

"It will be direct competition," Lindberg said. "About the most I will be doing is beefing up some more advertising and trying to keep my property in tip-top shape."

The new complexes are coming at a time when the University is struggling to house hundreds of displaced students. The University has been aware of the developments for some time, said Fred Fotis, director of Housing and Food Service Operations.

"Certainly we will take it into consideration when we look at the market we have for housing in the institution," Fotis said. "It is a part of a picture as is existing off-campus housing."

Unlike other off-campus housing, though, the trek to Patton Township is a long one -- about two and a half miles, Goodson said. Capstone is making a contract with the Centre Area Transportation Authority, and Goodson said students can pay to ride an "express bus" directly from the Commons to campus.

Adam Bugaj (freshman-history) does not think the long trip is that bad. He said he would ride his bike, but recognizes that "you're also going to have a lot of lazy students."

He said he would live in those developments if they were cheap and had a good atmosphere.

"Living in town can be a real drag. Everyone's real congested," Bugaj said.

To appeal to the students tired of living in town, Goodson said they are offering amenities not found in downtown apartments. University Commons will house a computer lab, a swimming pool, two hot tubs, a basketball court, two tennis courts and a sand volleyball court.

But Tina Gaughan, director of Undergraduate Student Government Town Affairs, said she is wary of high expectations.

"These places that go up overnight, I don't think they are built very well," she said.

Goodson said it will take 12 months to complete construction.

Gaughan also said she worried that many would not want to live that far from campus. However, she said that if the apartments were high-quality for low rent, they could be successful.

Ari Greis (sophomore-psychology) said he thinks the treachery of the trip could outweigh the facilities.

The bus system could help, he said, but he was not sure if students would choose to live so far away.

"The reason they might not is because parking is such a pain in the ass here. I have a car and got two parking tickets in a week. I don't drive much anymore," he said.