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College Town Life | Featured College Towns | College Town Issues | |
18-24 Council
Approves University Gateway Turning
a house into a beacon Now it's ready to shine through the night. Literally. Dozens of volunteers – more than 75 mostly architecture students from the University of Texas at Arlington – worked feverishly recently to transform the home into a translucent structure to be used as office space for nonprofit Frazier Revitalization Inc. and meeting space for community members. Frazier Revitalization spent $7,000 to $10,000 to rehabilitate the house ... Students
today expect best in dormitories Throw in a few amenities such as worn-out carpeting and some students
probably felt they were living in the high-rent district. The University of Southern Mississippi is about to embark on a 10-year overhaul of its dormitory space, starting with the construction of an 800- to 900-bed residential complex composed of several buildings north of West Fourth Street. Now the site is a commuter parking lot next to the start of the Longleaf Trace ... i.e.:
Is Columbia singin’ soul yet? How do you spend Saturday afternoons? A. You hit up Home Depot, Columbia Mall, maybe Linens ’n Things. Subtract 10 points. B. You’re still sleeping from Friday night’s escapades at Lou’s Palace. Add 30 points. C. Aisling at Schnucks, which is to say, interpretive-dance shopping. Add 50 points ... Bawdy Building Francis
expands ‘Girls Gone Wild’ brand to restaurants, apparel The restaurant rollout will start with owned-and-operated stores in beach tourist destinations. Once the format is set, the company plans to open smaller outlets in college towns across the country. Francis expects some type of franchising or licensing structure for the college-friendly clubs, with a total build-out of about 300 locations ... Village
group expands SCV Group Limited, which has its headquarters in Maroochydore and was formerly known as Sunny Cove Management, has joined forces with the ING company, which holds approximately $1 billion worth of investments in seniors and student housing in Australia, the US and New Zealand ... Oxford
recognized as 'Best Place to Live' Listed in a section called "Best Commuter Towns," Oxford found a place among small cities that have carved a niche apart from the sprawl of a nearby metropolitan area. Men's Journal praised the walkable nature and brick architecture of Oxford as well as the Miami University campus. The magazine also touted the Uptown cafes, bars and boutiques ... Princeton
University growth plans to be examined At a subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, Planning Board
members explored the Master Plan's vision statement, which most found
outdated. Concepts such as "rural," "college town"
and "small town" were among those questioned by the committee. City,
university cite joint goals for Dorr Street Such visions for redeveloping the corridor into an idealized university town atmosphere with new shops, cafes, restaurants, bookstores, and other student-oriented amenities have been publicly discussed for years. The university settings of Ann Arbor and Columbus are often cited as examples for which the corridor could aim ... Ordinance
fails, but code revisions could still target tables, litter and party
noise. Instead, litter, party noise and beer pong tables may be targeted with code revisions and more stringent punishments for violators ... ‘Maxed
Out’: when debt hits hard “You took my son,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes. “What more do you want?” O’Donnell, speaking on a panel at a recent screening of James Scurlock’s documentary on the credit card industry, “Maxed Out,” has reason to be upset. Her son Sean, a National Merit Scholar from Oklahoma, committed suicide after amassing over $12,000 of credit card debt in his first two years at college ... City
one of 50 best places to live In the April issue, the magazine cited the city for its short commute to Dayton and Cincinnati, which landed it on a short list of the five best commuter towns. Oxford has about 22,000 residents and is home to Miami University. Other factors that influenced the city's ranking were that residents can walk or bike leisurely around the city or enjoy nearby Acton Lake and Hueston Woods State Park. Men's Journal is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on adventure, travel, sports, health and style ... Same-day
registration right move for Iowa video Student
Group Invites Community to Discuss Diversity and Education Affordable
housing plan on the table A two-year study by the League of Women Voters documented a need for affordable housing in Oxford. The league used census data and visited local employers to complete their study. "What we heard over and over again is that many employees wanted to live in Oxford and Oxford Twp., but there wasn't any housing they could afford," ... Cornell
U housing director closes landlord, tenant gap That's where Kimberly Fezza steps in. As the newly-appointed coordinator of Cornell's Off Campus Housing Office, Fezza deals with all things rental. In the position, Fezza will be responsible for revamping an office that had shrunk notably over the past few years. The recent interest in housing issues at city hall and new work by the Rental Housing Advisory Commission, along with a housing task force's efforts, all led to the decision to reintroduce the position Fezza now fills ... ‘Up-market’
bid for new shops "The high-quality scheme will open on to a new pedestrianised square. Oxford suffers from lack of modern retail space, for which there has been no new development for many years. "The same can be said for student housing and, to a lesser extent, offices." ... Charlottesville
Named Top Place To Retire video More than 700,000 people each year move to new towns to retire. The book features cities in 34 states with each community designated as one of the ten best in several categories including budget towns, and college towns ... University
apartments in demand This is a common sight in West Austin, an area where Austin real estate Web sites list home prices above $400,000 and where many students come to live on the shores of Town Lake, or in the shadow of Mount Bonnell ... UMD
moves forward with redevelopment project Key aspects of the project include relocating the university’s existing administrative facilities to the site, and construction of more than 2 million square feet of student housing, market-rate housing, office space and retail, according to a university statement ... Lawmakers
To Look At How Colleges Financially Effect Surrounding Towns
video Flexcar
expands to Baltimore, partners with Johns Hopkins University From
commuter to residential "We have currently set aside just under 1 million square feet on the site [ASU West] to develop a combination of housing, retail and restaurants," said Kelly Grysho, manager for public relations and public affairs at the West Campus. VTP Partners is a combination of three Valley real estate developers; Trillium Residential, The Plaza Companies and Vestar Development. ASU West will "revitalize the surrounding community and establish this area as a true live/work/play destination," said David Larcher, founding partner of Vestar Development, in a VTP press release ... The
professiors are moving in Several colleges and universities are encouraging faculty to move into campus dormitories and Eastern is one of them ... Mac
and city need a joint student housing plan McMaster has grown by over 6,000 students since 2001, yet has only provided on-campus housing for approximately 10 per cent of this growth. Requests to integrate planning on issues which have an impact on the surrounding community, such as housing and traffic, have historically gone unheeded by the university. The lack of integrated formal planning processes, combined with no clear statement on maximum enrolment plans for McMaster's Westdale campus, will continue to put pressure on maintaining a balanced, vibrant neighbourhood. Let's develop a clear joint plan for McMaster's surrounding community, and avoid the high costs many university towns have when undertaking efforts to re-establish an appropriate full-time resident balance to their surrounding neighbourhoods ... Student,
city governments talk relations Council members and other city administrators attended an open forum held to discuss issues between the two factions, especially the nuisance party ordinance that went into effect March 7 ... Cartoon
center to produce card line The
Preiss Company Forms Acquisition and Disposition Team to Target Key Acquisitions EDITORIAL:
Colleges in community Mississippi State has opened its version in a new cluster called the "northeast complex." It has residences with lots of amenities, privacy, high technology, and classrooms. Now, after years of discussions, Ole Miss is moving ahead to design and build a residential college complex housing students, faculty members, classrooms, technology and dining in a prime location ... New
report addresses College Hill problems The lack of interest in living on campus, particularly among younger students, reportedly has contributed to problems on College Hill. In response, Studio Cascade is suggesting that the university take steps to entice sophomores to return to university or Greek housing. “This would allow students to live in a supervised condition until the end of their second year at the university, releasing more mature students into the off-campus living environment.” The study frames many of College Hill’s problems as safety issues. It indicates that the potential for violence and injury appears to be growing. In the report, ASWSU noted that women are especially concerned about walking after dark ... College
provided information led to evictions Zoning Adminstrator Rodney Rhodes, who began work with the City in August of 2006, spoke with The Informer on the issue of the 38 “evicted” students. Rhodes disliked the word “evicted” for their cases, citing the City’s inability to actually evict a person from his or her home; he says that they were simply asked to leave in order to comply with city law, “or face legal action by the City for enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance.” When asked initially about rumors that the College had given the names of the students directly to city officials, Rhodes plainly stated that he “did not receive any information from the College.” He did, however, admit to using a student directory as an investigative tool ... EDITORIAL:
Need for fire safety The blazes happened two blocks from each other, but there is no reason to believe the fires near South Campus were anything but two horrific coincidences. Still, BU administrators must address fire safety on and around campus, and yesterday, they announced how they plan to keep students out of harm's way ... How
to Earn Money Off Campus As Rest of Housing Market Cools But there's one niche that continues to show promise for investors undaunted by the slumping housing market: college-town real estate. This segment has recently caught the attention of large institutional investors like American Campus Communities, a publicly traded real-estate investment trust that earns 95% of its revenues from ownership of off-campus housing, according to Bill Bayless, chief executive officer of the Austin, Texas-based company. He and real-estate experts like Michael H. Zaransky, co-CEO of Prime Property Investors Ltd., a real-estate investment firm in North Brook, Ill., point to rising university enrollments and increasingly limited on-campus housing as two factors that make buying and renting out college-town housing an attractive investment ... Investor
Learns the Pluses Of Being a College-Town Landlord The property: The 1973 duplex is in the "Barton Hills" area of Austin, near the University of Texas campus, an area with numerous trees and natural springs. The neighborhood is popular with undergraduate and graduate students, professors and professionals. The 2,400-square-foot property sits on a 9,000-square-foot lot and includes a three-bedroom, two-bath unit and a two-bedroom, two-bath unit. The apartments have gas stoves and fireplaces, plus two uncovered parking spaces each. Both units are rented to students ... State,
retailers would track beer kegs under measure The bill is aimed at reducing underage drinking by tracking kegs and punishing people who provide beer to minors. Supporters say the issue is particularly important in college towns ... Universities
can break the budget for local governments The state Senate's Law and Justice Committee will look at possibilities including a drink tax to raise revenue for the community, transferring some revenue from the state's 18 percent tax on alcohol to local law enforcement, an impact fee on bar owners, or having university police help patrol off-campus student neighborhoods ... Student
nightlife taxes W. Chester's resources Part of the problem is that a relatively high portion of a college town is tax-exempt, which can mean less revenue and more spending per person on services than a town without a university. In West Chester, 29 percent of real estate is tax-exempt. The university accounts for 37 percent of that amount. But there are other issues: The borough's property-tax rate is the fifth highest in Chester County, and officials are not eager to raise it. The market value of real estate has soared more than 300 percent in the last five years, but the assessed value has increased just 4.7 percent. The last reassessment was 10 years ago ... Councils
encourage student involvement The decisions made by these councils can strongly affect students who now live in the area since the council does work on neighborhood safety, the development of recreational activities for the area as well as the restriction of alcohol sales in local stores ... E.
Lansing lauds man who helped shape city of today He served at a time bridges, water systems, sewers and street systems were being built. He brought the unique skills of a civil engineer to bear on this developing little college town. With his training and passion for the place, no one could have done more for East Lansing than Jack did in his time." ... College
binge drinking must be addressed One
Half-Billion Dollars in Transactions Later, Top Performers from National
Firm Create New Real Estate Brokerage Solutions We found that large national brokerage houses often close the door on outside brokers. This is not in the sellers' best interest. When we expose assets to the international marketplace, we truly open all avenues of potential buyers. Because of the rapid appreciation in real estate in coastal markets the Midwest has become a proven target to place equity into stabilized cash flow deals ... College
campuses to step up fire prevention awareness "It is ... important that we not retreat to business as usual when it comes to matters of personal safety," President Robert A. Brown and dean of students Kenneth Elmore wrote in an e-mail to students Sunday. "It is true that the recent fires were accidental; however, we should increase our collective obligation to do what we can to avoid similar tragedies in the future." ... If
you build it, will they come? Many of the condominium, villa, townhouse, condo-hotel and apartment projects planned or under way are aimed at employees, alumni and fans of Notre Dame and other local colleges ... The
most expensive on-campus housing: Living in the lap of luxury The hall's 110 students enjoy private bathrooms and carpeting. That's why Cambridge House, attached to the Michigan Union and West Quad, is the most expensive residence hall on campus ... Biting
the hand ... We thought everyone knew that, but apparently Councilman Edward Bargerstock is the exception. He has raised the possibility of an admissions tax on tuition at Kent State, or perhaps university events, or parking. Someone needs to explain to Mr. Bargerstock the overwhelming economic benefits institutions like Kent State bring to their home communities. While it is true the very existence of the universities mandate city services and can strain local resources, the trade-off in jobs and commerce is more than substantial ... College
town advances True to the concept, Wilkes-Barre is helping the college with the improvements by being a conduit for borrowing money for the project ... Neighbors
square off against NYU "NYU is poisoning the culture of the Village," said Shan Reddy, 35, a resident of 250 Mercer St. "They don't want to give up their own space, they want to appropriate public property." ... NYU
studies its impact on Village Alicia Hurley, associate vice president for government and community affairs, announced the studies recently, which she said are part of an effort to cultivate more amicable "town-and-gown" relations between the university and the local community ...
The university plans to build three "residential colleges" that will pair hundreds of students in modern quarters with a few professors living and teaching right next door. Officials say it will be like having a small college within a bigger college. Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS already has a similar concept, combining classrooms and student housing in one building ... Clemson
rental housing enforcement faces complaint Tal Slann, an owner and agent of rental property in Clemson, told the Clemson City Council Monday that clearer communication is needed between city officials and rental property owners and that the city needs to re-evaluate the way it targets possible violators. “It shouldn’t be based on just counting cars,” ... To
up its coolfactor, W&M seeking hot spots That's because they're trying to turn back a trend of nearby retailers appealing more to tourists than to students, officials say. Colonial Williamsburg's Merchants Square - the closest shopping center to campus - no longer offers the drugstore, student shops and late-night restaurants that it did decades ago. And in a 2006 survey commissioned by the university, more than half of prospective students said they thought that there was little social life on campus ... Udderly
natural "Consumers want products that are produced without anything synthetic," according to herd manager Frank Saglio, "and they're willing to pay a significant premium for it. This results in a higher price for farmers and can help small farms stay in business." ... Developers'
plan: Reunite boomers with their schools For some people, a condominium near their alma mater or favorite college team is an occasional weekend residence. For baby boomers and retirees, living near a college campus brings academic and social opportunities ... Seafaring
village meets Mayberry "Bristol is more laid-back than Newport and less urban than Providence," says Jerry Mitchell. "And it's a well-known sailing center and a college town, too." Bristol is home to Roger Williams University, which has 5,000 students ... Notre
Dame serves as magnet for home builders Though some worry that the character of the community surrounding campus might change, it also could help by giving a hefty push to once-stagnant property prices. And some of the new part-time residents might even like the community well enough to move here permanently. Can't see anything but positives in this trend ... Notre
Dame alumni, fans drive development of condos, townhomes and other housing Murphy, a 59-year-old Denver resident, last year bought a villa so that he and his family have a permanent place to spend weekends and vacations near campus. "I've been a Notre Dame fan going back to the 1950s," Murphy said. "I have a huge love for the school." ...
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