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College Town Life | Featured College Towns | College Town Issues | |
1-7 Real
Estate Editor Yes. Such is the reality of realty when it comes to the off-campus but collegiate housing. Memphis-based Allen & O'Hara Educational Realty Trust, associated with Education Realty Trust Inc., is paying $31 million for the 204-unit, 612-bed complex, developed by Stinson Development LLC starting in 2004. It is a record price for an apartment complex in Oklahoma: about $152,000 per unit — approaching twice the previous record price of $81,140 per unit paid last year for the Renaissance at Norman Apartments in an $18.5 million deal... Getting
things done The University of Texas at Arlington has included a mixed-use retail and residential "College Town" component in its master plan. The Arlington Historical Society has completed the movement of several historical cabins to Knapp Park in the center of the old downtown area. And, finally, taxable values in the downtown tax increment financing district are growing, which will provide more funds for infrastructure improvements... Rowan
forum probes wind power To jump start these efforts, the New Jersey Wind Working Group conducted its first meeting on Friday at Rowan University. The group is the 28th of its kind nationwide. About 40 stakeholders -- state officials, private businesses, environmental groups and researchers -- focused on the small wind market in which residents can purchase a small wind turbine to provide electricity for their home. The turbines are much smaller than the five 1.5 megawatt turbines at the Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm in Atlantic City... First
Friday Filmfest Begins Funded through Marshall University’s Student Affairs, the films are free to members of the Marshall community with ID and $5 for all non-MU patrons... Dr. Janet Badia, associate professor of English at Marshall, has been working with Student Affairs to organize the Filmfest. “I am very excited about the first film, and I hope it’s the start of something big in Huntington,” Badia said. “We would love to see the concept of First Friday snowball into a larger town-and-gown affair, complete with everything from art exhibits, to food and wine tastings, to music and literary events.”... Passing
on football was the right decision Finally, this decision proves that an issue like reinstating football can be studied and debated at a university without necessarily being rubber-stamped. After all, if you can’t examine the merits and drawbacks of any topic at a university, where can you?... W&M
president criticizes voter registration policy Nichol, a constitutional law professor, said the State Board of Elections proposal remained inconsistent statewide in how college students registered to vote. He also suggested the General Assembly pass legislation similar to that in Iowa, where students can choose whether to vote in their hometown or their college towns... MU
president answers questions at press conference Hodge voiced his pleasure in the new Miami Access Initiative that would give free tuition to students coming from families making less than $35,000 a year. "I can't tell you how excited I am to think this is happening," he said. "This doesn't solve all of our problems, but it does send a clear message to students that from an economic point of view, Miami is possible."... Stanford
to forgive student loans of graduates who teach The loan-forgiveness program applies to graduates of the Stanford Teacher Education Program, a yearlong master's program for K-12 teachers at the university's School of Education. Under the program, STEP graduates will have half of their student loans forgiven after they teach for two years; the remainder will be forgiven after they complete four years of teaching... UW-La
Crosse stirs debate over tuition The debate here is not about whether diversity and quality are worthwhile goals for a university, but about the price that's worth paying for them. The plan calls for an increase in tuition of $1,320 - on top of any annual statewide tuition hikes for inflation - over three years. The increases would be grandfathered so it would only affect new students starting in fall 2008... Slots
create arguement at forum An opponent said putting slot machines at nine Ohio sites will cause immeasurable stress for families and social services as they cope with at least 100,000 new gambling addiction cases... Not
Missing the SAT Several dozen of those at the annual meeting of the National Association for College Admission Counseling shot up their hands — to applause from others in the room. A high school counselor then suggested another question: How many of you who are guidance counselors would like to see more colleges abandon the SAT? More hands and more applause... Student
housing rates climb Apartments
not always fire safe Eighty percent of KU students live off campus, and students naturally gravitate to housing where rent is cheap. This often means living in old apartment buildings built under outdated codes. It also means living in buildings built to fit a well-known loophole in the fire code. Boardwalk was built to fit that loophole, and so were many newer apartment buildings... UNC
'badgered' over north campus Carolina North is a proposed satellite campus that would occupy about 1,000 acres by Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and would mix academic, research and residential space. University, local and state leaders have been meeting to come up with goals for the project, and UNC is supposed to submit a development proposal to its trustees by next October. At Thursday's meeting, UNC officials were asked to provide more venues for public input on Carolina North, as is common at the University of Wisconsin's flagship Madison campus... Law
applying to doormen may work downtown The University of Georgia has, in recent months, taken a tough stance on the on-campus aspect of the issue, setting up severe sanctions for violations of student conduct code provisions prohibiting underage drinking or providing alcohol to underaged persons. Students violating the code are now put on probation for a first offense, and are suspended for any subsequent offense that occurs during the probationary period. In addition, university police officers now take students caught violating alcohol laws straight to the Clarke County Jail, rather than simply issuing a citation... Neighborhood
tired of late-night student invasion His young son plays in the grass, so the prospect of Penn State students urinating there doesn't sit well. A few weeks ago, he spent a late night trying to keep drunk collegians from unzipping on the lawn. Jones stopped at least 10, he said. "Everyone has got a horror story," Jones said this week. "The comatose person in your yard. The people who rushed your front door thinking the party was there. The people fornicating in your backyard."... "I do think that is, in part, a product of more freshmen," King said. Penn State has enrolled a record class of an estimated 8,300 freshmen at University Park. The campus logged 6,600 to 6,700 freshmen last year... New
law hasn't crashed Santa Cruz parties, but calls are up Since the City Council passed the ordinance last July, police have taken 2,500 phone calls — an average of seven per night, and more than 200 a month — from residents complaining about wild gatherings that are known to include underage drinking, people passed out on lawns, beer bottles in the streets and cars blocking driveways... Off-Campus
Landlords Attend On-Campus Workshop The daylong program is intended to bring together off-campus landlords (who are on the college’s approved off-campus housing list), college staff and other special guests to discuss a variety of issues related to students living off-campus while at Penn College... Great
diversions: MSU We
have reasons to think about sidewalks A housing rehabilitation program for homes bought by low- to moderate-income families. A historic preservation grant for the old Vandergriff auto building at Center and Division streets. Grants of up to $10,000 for first-time homeowners. A sort of open-ended request for proposals for downtown-area redevelopment, also with substantial potential funding: $1.65 million. And that's not including components like the new county subcourthouse under construction on East Abram Street, a new office building in the Vandergriff center and a "College Town" mixed-use proposal in UTA's master plan. Or very-near-future connections of Center Street with both I-20 and I-30. It's a synergy package slowly picking up speed... Super
Tailgate: Pre-game party for students This year, the University Center Activities Board (UCAB) and the athletics department set out to change that by hosting the first Super Tribe Tailgate in the Sunken Garden immediately before the game against Virginia Military Institute on Sept. 23. “This is good for William and Mary. I’m from a large college town, and we always have huge tailgates before games,” said senior Kori Lorick, who grew up near the University of South Carolina. Lorick, like many others, thought the tailgate was a great way to increase school spirit... For
Rent And yet there is hope: as you leave the Radford University campus, you are instantly among apartments, townhouses and houses available for rent. While many students are pleased with their new accommodations and have no problems with their landlord or realtor, some end up with less-than-luxury living and inadequate service from their realtors. When problems occur, some young tenants wonder, “Is this happening because I am a student?”... Grant
offers child care help to university employees Connie Wilson, assistant dean of students emerita, founded the scholarship in 2003 when she saw how many of the university's classified staff struggled with increasing child care costs. "Classified staff keeps UW-Madison running through millions of daily tasks and various encounters with students, staff and faculty," says Wilson, who now volunteers in support of campus child care. "For our campus to be truly welcoming, it is essential for the classified staff to be well supported in the important work they do." ... The
cranky man's guide to contentment College,
Borough Council consider construction of inn Last year the Borough Council approved an overlay ordinance allowing for the construction of an inn on the site in question, but did not provide for the additional residential units described in the current proposal. The approval of a revised ordinance would be another step toward the realization of a joint development project that “represents a melding of community and college interests,” Vice President of the College Maurice Eldridge ’61 said... American
Apparel store opens downtown The company is expanding throughout Florida, which is part of the reason for the new store in Gainesville. Also, a college town offers a lot of diversity for a place like American Apparel... The new store is popular with students since many of them shopped at locations back home and were awaiting its arrival. It also helps that throughout September there is a 15 percent discount with a student ID, and then a 10 percent discount any time after that. The store will even be stocking up on orange and blue clothing for game days... After
3 1/2 years, eleven east cafe closing Glassboro shop "After three-and-a-half years we still don't have adequeate foot traffic to be able to get ourselves into the black," said Margie Tannenbaum, co-owner of eleven east cafe, which was named after its street address in Glassboro's downtown... Sorrow
among the squash blossoms The issue is the fate of the city's flagship community garden, a years-long clash pitting a community of devoted gardeners against a university renowned for its progressive values. Reed says it needs to uproot the 30-year-old garden for a cluster of four new dorms. The town-gown dispute wilted this summer with a clear ruling from the city that Reed owed nothing, at least legally, to the garden it hosted for three decades. Last weekend, gardeners said their goodbyes with a final harvest potluck. The two-acre site, a beloved patchwork of plants and people, is one of the oldest in the city's network of 30 community gardens, and by far the largest. Now it's closing at a time when open space in the city becomes ever more precious and as concerns about food quality grow sharper... Ordinance
will punish 'problem houses' As expected, the council voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance, which was proposed in response to a rash of rowdy parties that town officials said were held by Roger Williams University students in off-campus houses the weekend before school started last month. The ordinance defines a problem house as a place where two noise disturbances have occurred within a 12-month period. Under previously enacted rules, the town can levy a $100 fine for a first offense and up to a $500 fine for subsequent offenses... Home
Sweet Homework The frame was built by Western's chapter of Habitat for Humanity, the non-profit organization that builds homes for families who, in the regular housing market, wouldn't be able to afford one. These homes are sold at cost with no interest. It will be on campus until Thursday, when the Habitat members will take the frame down and bring it to the site on West Main Street where the home will be erected permanently... Column:
No better way to spend a Saturday The leaves on the trees were already changing and there was a crispness in the air. Along the banks of the Red Cedar River, it is cold and grey, much like the day Grantland Rice wrote about the infamous Four Horseman of Notre Dame. Is there a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than at a college football game?... Turnout
brings about delay in Baldwin hearing "We have been informed that this facility is not big enough to accommodate one of the hearings tonight," City Attorney Jimmy Jordan announced to a standing-room-only crowd. He said concerns for everyone's safety and the need for everyone to have a chance to speak prompted the board to decide to reschedule the meeting... Shaping
Forest Grove's Future HOWARD: All of the cultural events in this city are connected to Pacific in some way. The city and Pacific have always had a solid connection not always visible but always there. Both entities prosper together... Stock
Of The Week The Austin, Tex.-based REIT owns and manages 38 properties in and around college campuses, and it provides management and leasing services for other owners at 15 additional student housing properties. In terms of students housed, the company has 22,900 beds in its own properties and a total of 32,100 beds when properties it manages are included. A
horrible reminder of lessons we have already learned The story in La Crosse is all too familiar: The mixture of alcohol and a river has deadly consequences. We didn’t want to know Luke Homan and his family like this. We wanted to watch him again this season on the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse basketball team... Get
out and meet the neighbors The first Neighbors’ Night Out — organized by the city, UC Davis and the university’s Associated Students — has been a big success already, with 60 parties scheduled and more than 4,000 invitations mailed out. “We’re still getting calls from people,” said Anne Brunette, the city’s community partnership coordinator. Neighborhood groups are planning dessert potlucks, barbecues, ice cream socials and at least one fondue party in an effort to meet their neighbors and welcome new renters to the area... Borough
Council approves renewal of DID contract The Downtown Improvement District (DID) is responsible for street cleaning teams that remove debris from storefront doorways, as well as gum and dirt from sidewalks. It is also responsible for many downtown events, such as the holiday street lighting ceremony, the annual Fall Festival, Santa's workshop, the Outdoor Film Series and summer concerts... The Urban Village is the neighborhood west of Atherton Street the council hopes to rejuvenate by bringing more permanent housing to the area and fixing up homes and buildings that have fallen into disrepair. Fountaine said the steering committee would include Borough Council members, the State College Planning Commission, representatives from Penn State, property owners in the Urban Village and members of the Off-campus Student Union... Downtown
Master Plan Approved The proposal was unanimously approved by the Fayetteville City Council after four of five proposed amendments were accepted. The biggest change was the removal of a neighborhood near the University of Arkansas campus from the overall plan. Portions of the West Lafayette Historic District were pulled from the downtown zoning map. The area, bounded on the east and west by Gregg and Arkansas avenues, on the north by Maple Street and on the south by the Sigma Nu fraternity house property, will remain outside the plan. That area will be governed by regular city zoning standards. Some property owners in the area had objected to inclusion in the plan, saying the area is a neighborhood and not part of commercial downtown areas... Schools
give student data to banks A USA TODAY survey reveals that each of the largest 10 universities — through its alumni or athletic association — now partners with a bank to issue co-branded cards to alumni and students. The deals exist at hundreds of colleges... Cashing
in on organic foods That's why Don Jaworski wants to educate people about it. "Organic farming is the No. 1 growth industry in agriculture," said Jaworski, associate dean of agriculture at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay. NWTC plans to offer in January three courses in organic farming addressing livestock feed, milk and produce. The courses will range from a one-day workshop to 20-hour classes. NWTC has offered courses for years in conventional agriculture, but this is the first offering designed specifically for organic farming, he said. Provo
proposal will allow second kitchens Give up? The first three are all factors that were part of Provo's definition of a family and that, under the ordinance amendment discussed at the Municipal Council meeting Tuesday night, would no longer be a part of it... American
Campus in the midst of investing $214M at UC Irvine Vista del Campo Norte is the second phase of American Campus' $214.5 million initiative to bring an additional 3,052 beds to the campus. The project debuting this week includes undergraduate and graduate communities with 1,309 beds and 255 beds, respectively. Amenities include a game room, fitness center, wireless Internet access and a business center... Student
housing complex goes on despite objections American Campus Communities, a private developer that builds apartments meant for University at Buffalo students, has begun clearing trees and draining land for a new complex. The development passed the Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals and is in accordance with laws, rendering resistance from board members and residents legally inconsequential, said Amherst Commissioner of Building Thomas Ketchum... Housing
costs in U.S. are straining income Boulder's
rent drain tops U.S. University of Colorado student Tony Richard estimates he spends about 75 percent of his income on rent and utilities for his small Boulder apartment. Richard, 20, is among the increasing number of Boulder residents who are finding it tougher to live in a town where housing prices are among the highest in the metropolitan region... City
OKs 160-unit student condo complex Buoyed by assurances from developers that a planned student housing complex in south Columbia will remain friendly to the environment and surrounding residential area, the council accepted a plan that includes 160 dwelling units, a swimming pool and nearly 600 parking spaces. Developers of the proposed Grove Park complex told the council they will market upscale condominiums there to parents of students attending local colleges, though they also said some of the units could be purchased by property management companies to be rented out... Our
learning communities New
Berkeley? MMOCA's Terry Boehner says the mention gave the museum "a definite uptick" in Web traffic: "We have about a 20 percent higher volume this week . . . some can be traced to New York."... U.S.
Expands Probe of Student Loan Issuers Last year the inspector general concluded that the New Mexico Educational Assistance Foundation had collected as much as $36 million in excess federal payments. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings ruled, however, that no repayment was required, finding that the state agency "complied with applicable laws, regulations and department guidance on this issue."... City
seeks 4,100 landlord-tenant agreements Now a city councilwoman said she is “frustrated” that Code Enforcement Director Steve Pierson forced major apartment complexes to comply with the ordinance that created the agreements, adding that Athens City Council probably will modify the legislation so that those complexes are exempt... Pricey
condos replace UA student housing Purchased for $11.5 million, Arizona Commons is becoming Campus Walk Condominiums at the Main Gate. The 88-unit gated community at 931 N. Euclid Ave. is one block north of UA's entertainment and restaurant row... Out
of place For students like Krista, a sophomore at PSU, this is temporary on-campus housing. Krista, who asked the Vanguard not to use her last name, moved into University Place the week before school started. Last year she lived in the Ondine Residence Hall and was planning to live in the Broadway Housing Building this term but misplaced her reapplication form. Coming back to classes this term left Krista wondering where she would be living... City
considers keeping a closer eye on rentals City officials came up with the idea last year during a series of meetings about the sometimes-raucous tenants who have crowded into the neighborhoods around Texas Christian University. Some area homeowners thought the city should limit the number of unrelated people who can live in the same house. Instead, a city task force proposed keeping closer tabs on rental property throughout the city... Crime
report: Assault on rise In compliance with state and federal requirements, the university e-mailed a copy of the statistics to all students, even though few were aware of the report or the information it contained... "Because it's a college town, and a majority of the town is college students, drinking is a part of the culture,"... Duke
promises to limit store sizes The proposed per-store size limit is intended to address fears that additional on-campus retail could undercut businesses along Ninth Street and in other Durham commercial districts, and was among 11 conditions the university said Monday it's willing to accept if and when the City Council rezones the 128-acre Central Campus tract... Committee
closer to enforcing rent cap Approval of the board’s constitution has been in the works for more than a year, city officials said, and finalizing rules governing the board would grant them the power to make decisions on petitions from landlords and tenants seeking exemptions to the law. Last May the council created the board to help enforce a cap on monthly rents at $2,000 or 1 percent of the home’s value, whichever is greater... Editorial
-- Capping the student: Rent stabilization efforts misguided The current policy would limit monthly rent on single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes and quadraplexes at 1 percent of the house’s value or $2,000, whichever is greater. The narrowly defined proposal is clear in its intention: force landlords out of rental housing, and, by extension, students out of College Park neighborhoods... The
perks of small universites verses large, crowded campuses As far back as I can remember, my plan has been to go to the University of Texas. Granted the major changed several times, but the school was always UT. So how exactly did I end up at SFA? Your guess is as good as mine. Every summer I am bombarded with questions about living in a small college town, going to a small school and how in the world I, the girl who always talked about moving to the big city, was handling small town life. Well, I'm starting my third year here, and I can finally answer some of those questions... Friends
of late student start bar, party site The two students run College Nights, LLC, designing dining and entertainment Web sites for college towns. The first of the sites, Athensnights.net, was launched two weeks ago and contains dining and bar listings, as well as delivery options, music events and drink specials... Residents
upset about trash, noise off campus The letter, which did not go to all off-campus students but only to the biggest problem areas, stated residents were complaining about loud noise and trash generated from parties. Michael Palos, chief of Bureau of Housing, said residents usually have many complaints about student behavior in the first month of school, then it settles down. He also said the past two years have been the worst in regards to resident complaints about student behavior in the South side... Students
help to prop up town . . . But changing circumstances, particularly at the town club, means the billing has to be changed... Magazines
can't help praising Eugene The city has been ranked as one of the best places to live, one of the best places to raise a family and one of the best places to retire... Universities
launch New England Higher Education Recruitment Consortium New England HERC's Web site, www.newenglandherc.org, is a free database of all job openings at member institutions, including faculty, staff and medical positions. It also includes relocation resources, making it one of the most comprehensive dual-career resources available... City
of Boston, Harvard and area universities 'Step UP' The five-year effort, called "Step UP," was announced by Mayor Thomas M. Menino at a press conference Thursday (Sept. 28). "This partnership offers a new set of resources to strengthen our schools," said Menino, who has made education a top priority of his administration. "These five universities have stepped up to the plate in a very substantial way."... New
proposal for student housing A London, Ont., developer proposes to build a 12-storey student residence on Ewen Road at Main Street West. The proposal is the second major development of student housing on the edges of residential neighbourhoods surrounding McMaster... Block
Party seen as continued progress FRIENDS was created in 2002 by six community members and two University administrators in order to improve relations between the Foggy Bottom/West End business and residential communities and the University. This event, in part, is to bring these communities together for an annual celebration... William
T. Doyle: What the city council has not told us about university expansion An
energetic mission “We don’t know the answer at the moment as to what our energy future is going to look like,” said Dave Konkle, the energy coordinator for the city of Ann Arbor, Mich. “Where will your children get their energy? That’s the question.” Konkle was the keynote speaker at the fourth annual Sustainable Living Fair sponsored by Mid-Missouri Peaceworks’ Center for Sustainable Living and the Columbia Earth Day Coalition. He talked about ways communities and local governments can reduce their energy emissions in response to the rising demand for oil... Lawrence
Resident Builds/Markets Electric Bike Christensen has built a ready-to-ride electric bicycle capable of going up to 35 mph, with a range of about 20 miles before it needs to be recharged. He plans to market and sell the bikes over the Internet through a new Web site, www.currentcyclebikes.com. Swedish
cyclists call the shots During the last few decades, the municipality has actively encouraged bike use by building lanes, bridges, parking spots and even publishing bicycle route maps. "If you looked 40 years ago, just poor people rode bikes," Vice-Mayor Gosta Gustavsson told me on my recent visit to his city. "Now, you see bankers and professors and even politicians riding bikes."... On
Their Turf So, if you're one of the dedicated many who plan to travel to this city of almost 173,000 residents, check out the hot spots locals and past visitors alike consider the best of Knoxville. There's so much to explore after the game clock ticks down to its final second... Push
Rolls Into Boulder Investors
buy land across from USA UMass
nears deal on frat houses Washburn said he wants to see the 12 current houses remain in operation and wants the university to build townhouses for the other fraternities and sororities. "Traditional Greek housing is disappearing," Washburn said. "There is a move to keep Greeks in housing, it just won't be traditional housing."
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