arch   College Town Life | Featured College Towns | College Town Issues
2007 April                                       
Search  | Archives

1-7

Sociologists contest Census numbers
Two say town isn’t losing a drastic number of locals; university distorts totals
Gazette-Times 7 Apr 2007
... CORVALLIS, OR - A report released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that the population of Corvallis would have dropped since 2000 if not for an influx of international immigrants.

However, two Oregon State University sociologists warn that the methodology used in that report, as well as the particular nature of Corvallis as a college town, belies that conclusion.

ASU West, Thunderbird to convert campuses to villages
Arizona Republic - 7 Apr 2007
... PHOENIX, AZ - ASU West and the Thunderbird School of Global Management are pushing forward with plans to transform their campuses into urban villages that would include housing, offices, shops and restaurants.

ASU West in west Phoenix recently hired a team of developers to build a 1 million-square-foot project dubbed College Town that calls for shops, office buildings and senior and multifamily housing.

Meanwhile, Thunderbird has plans to shrink its educational center to about 40 acres and ring it with a renovated 175-room hotel, upscale apartments, hundreds of live/work units and office and retail space ...

Pullman pot raid nets legal tomato starts
KNDO - 7 Apr 2007
... PULLMAN, WA - Guns drawn, police serving a marijuana search warrant at a Pullman apartment found green leafy plant material.

It just wasn't the kind they normally find in residences in the college town.

It was tomato plants ...

$60 million hotel to deliver game day luxury
Many developers are tapping into Virginia Tech's popular athletic program and affluent alumni base.
Times - 7 Apr 2007
... BLACKSBURG, VA - In 2009, a six-story, $60 million sports condominium hotel will rise on South Main Street in Blacksburg.

Dubbed The Colosseum, the project promises unrivaled luxury to avid Virginia Tech sports fans willing to plunk down between $170,000 and the low $800,000s for one of its 172 units.

Fully furnished and equipped with wedding space, a private clubhouse and a day spa, The Colosseum punctuates a game day condo-development trend that first arrived in Blacksburg in 2005 and has changed the face of several college towns ...

University loft living coming for Sacramento State students
News - 7 Apr 2007
... SACREMENTO, CA - The nearly completed Upper Eastside Lofts on 65th Street will soon be the newest Sacramento State student housing, campus officials announced today.

Under a new agreement, the lofts will serve as a near-campus student community for at least the next 15 years. They will be ready for students to move in by the upcoming fall semester, and reservations are now being accepted ...

326 students bumped from lottery
The Flat Hat - 7 Apr 2007
... WILLIAMSBURG, VA - The housing lottery involuntarily bumped 326 rising sophomore and juniors from the process, 150 students more than last year. Of those bumped, 201 are women and 125 are men.

Lauren Nelson - The Flat Hat. Students line up outside of Residence Life in the Campus Center.

In past years, an average of 100 to 200 students were bumped. Last year, every student who was bumped was reinstated before the beginning of the housing lottery ...

UMW, neighbors to chat
City, university to start talking more often
Free Lance-Star - 7 Apr 2007
... FREDRICKSBURG, MD - Fredericksburg and University of Mary Washington officials could be talking more in the future.

On April 26, representatives from the neighborhoods around the university, along with City Council members and city staff, will gather with UMW President William Frawley and other school officials.

Clyde Matthews, president of the College Heights Civic Association, says he hopes the meeting will be the start of a formal town-gown committee where concerns between the college and city could be shared on a more regular basis ...

CSUS off-campus housing to get lofty look
Business Journal - 6 Apr 2007
... SACRAMENTO, CA - California State University Sacramento long has aimed to transform itself from a commuter school to a residential campus. In a big step toward that goal, an arm of the university has signed a lease for a loft-style apartment building under construction near campus and plans to convert it to student housing.

University Enterprises Inc., the nonprofit development and business arm of Sacramento State, reached a tentative agreement in January with the developers of the housing-and-retail development known as the Upper East Side Lofts, near 65th Street and Folsom Boulevard. The formal lease was signed Friday ...

Developers Ravel Rasmussen Properties and partner Separovich/Domich Development had expected to lease the units in their transit-oriented, mixed-use project to professors and other professionals. Then, Altier came knocking with his idea to convert the site into off-campus housing, available to all but first-year students ...

The development would add about 435 beds to the university's 1,100 beds on campus. The university also is adding a 600-bed apartment complex on campus for fall 2009. The lofts would help ease the school's housing shortage and accelerate plans for a more residential campus ...

Housing is also hot in S. Knox
Calif. company pays $23M for student residences
Knox News - 6 Apr 2007
... KNOXVILLE, TN - Investors on the prowl for student housing also are eyeing South Knoxville.

A California real estate company has paid $23 million for the Crossing Place Apartments, south of the Tennessee River at 301 Lippencott Street.

The March transaction marked the second time in recent weeks that a major student-housing complex changed hands. A Chicago-area firm recently paid more than $10.5 million for a quartet of apartment properties in the Fort Sanders area ...

Neighbors React to Proposed IUSB Student Housing
Tribune - 6 Apr 2007
... SOUTH BEND, IN - Big changes on campus could bring more students to IUSB. Friday the board of trustees gave its final approval on a major student housing project.

The $20 million addition would go up across the river from the school, on a former golf course ...

Debut film festival underway
Miami Student - 6 Apr 2007
... OXFORD, OH - Oxford will get a taste of the cinematic arts this weekend with Oxford's first international film festival.

The festival kicked off Thursday evening with a private gala at the Marcum Conference Center. The gala opened with a catered dinner followed by the U.S. premiere of Wrath of Gods, an international film by director Jon Gustafsson. A question and answer session followed with Gustafsson ...

K-family extends to elementary level
K-Kids has more than 20,000 members worldwide between the ages of 6 and 12, according to its Web site.
Oxford Press - 6 Apr 2007
... OXFORD, OH - Students at Kramer Elementary School have now joined the Oxford Kiwanis Club service family as Kiwanis K-Kids.

Prior to K-Kids at Kramer, there were three branches of Kiwanis in Oxford — The Builder's Club at the middle school level, the Key Club at the high school level and Circle K at the collegiate level.

The children of K-Kids pledge to serve their neighborhood in addition to their school community. The purpose of the club is to help make the world a better place to live ...

Council interviews for assistance with city plan
Miami Student - 6 Apr 2007
... OXFORD, OH - The city of Oxford has taken another step forward in the development of an updated comprehensive plan for the city's future direction, addressing current needs and preparing for potential areas of concern.

The plan, called "Oxford Tomorrow: A Vision for the Future" was developed in March by the city of Oxford's department of community development.

City council is currently in the process of selecting a consulting firm to aid in the process of creating an updated city plan to address economic development, transportation and housing ...

Council approves revised ordinances
Legislation limits use of outside furniture, increases penalties for existing restrictions
Miami Student - 6 Apr 2007
... OXFORD, OH - After an Oxford city council meeting Tuesday, Miami University students can partially relax, as council voted on ordinances that would not completely take away students' outdoor beer game privileges. Yet off-campus students and Oxford residents will still be facing tougher fines for outdoor furniture, litter and noise in the coming months.

In a 7-0 vote from council members, the revised furniture, litter and noise ordinances passed, after a change to the debated furniture component.

Under the new furniture ordinance, Oxford residents and Miami students are forbidden to keep, store or allow to remain outside any couches, chairs, tables or other furniture not manufactured for outdoor use - including plywood boards, construction materials, saw horses, tubes, pipes or rigid materials suspended between two supports, so as to be used as a table ...

Area brothers will take film festival on tour
Press-Gazette - 6 Apr 2007
... GREEN BAY, WI - Two brothers from Sturgeon Bay who organized last year's student film festival in Door County are taking their show on the road this summer — complete with a tricked-out tour bus and a shot of "Lost'' star power.

In June, Steven and Brian Amos will gas up their bus Vivian and hit 50 college towns nationwide with Student Films Across America, the first traveling student-run film fest of its kind. They'll screen five short films (30 minutes or less) made by high school and college students and feature one local filmmaker in each city, hoping to attract young crowds and media attention at every stop ...

A new view of ISU
Indiana Statesman - 6 Apr 2007
... TERRE HAUTE, IN - ... instead of a normal column where I talk about my opinions on something, I'm reporting on the first impressions of someone from an East Coast college town. Given our concerns with enrollment, I thought it would be interesting to see what a person's first impressions of campus would be.

First I asked him what he thought about the town and campus. He said that, while Terre Haute seemed "small-townish and dusty," the campus was lovely because of things like the fountain and the statues.
There were many other nice things my brother had to say about campus. He enjoyed the Commons in the HMSU. Additionally, my brother was impressed by the theater department's production of the "Great American Trailer Park Musical," and was impressed that the department would have the funds to put on a show that elaborate.

Interestingly enough, my brother's comments also put to bed one of the biggest myths about Terre Haute, that there is nothing around here to do for college students. While conceding that he couldn't go watch a musical every night, he argued that Terre Haute has enough bars and entertainment that college students should be able to have as much fun here as they would anywhere else ...

Hundreds scrambling for shelter
Diamondback - 6 Apr 2007
... COLLEGE PARK, MD - With a flood of 639 rising seniors denied from dorms next year forced to seek housing in an already overcrowded local housing market, city officials say students shouldn't get their hopes up about finding housing anywhere nearby.

"There's a limit to how many thousands can be fit into the city," District 2 Councilman Bob Catlin said. "Obviously, students can live a lot of other places besides College Park. I'm sure they'll have to scramble to find a place." ...

Residents fear University's expansion
Daily Princetonian - 6 Apr 2007
... PRINCETON, NJ - University administrators clashed with Borough officials and residents last night in a heated public work session held to discuss the University's plans for expansion and address possible conflicts with the greater Princeton Community Master Plan.

Led by University Vice President and Secretary Bob Durkee '69, the University contingent met with members of the Princeton Planning Board.

Citing the board's belief that Princeton "is not simply a college town and is not a town for one institution," chair of the Master Plan Subcommittee Marvin Reed said it is vital that the greater Princeton community and the multiple educational institutions that inhabit it — including the University, Princeton Theological Seminary and the Institute for Advanced Study — grow together cooperatively ...

Nuisance party ordinance just used on occasion
BG News - 6 Apr 2007
... BOWLING GREEN, OH - Students may enjoy parties but some city residents see them as a nuisance.

That's why, in June 2004, Bowling Green City Council adopted the nuisance party ordinance in an attempt to quell disruptive parties. It allows police to shut down parties and cite the hosts for offenses such as underage drinking, disorderly conduct or littering.

Two Ohio college towns roughly the size of Bowling Green - Oxford and Athens, which house Miami University and Ohio University - provided the model for Bowling Green's law ...

Sitcom cast imagines Scranton
Times-Tribune - 6 Apr 2007
...SCRANTON, PA - — Ever wonder what “Office” cast members imagine the real Scranton is like?

Wonder no more. Here’s what a few of them had to say when asked for their thoughts on the Electric City during last week’s Times-Tribune visit to the show’s Van Nuys, Calif., set ...

Kate Flannery (Meredith), a Philadelphia native who has been to Scranton: “What I love about Scranton is that it seems like it hasn’t been corrupted by the ’70s and ’80s architecture,” said Ms. Flannery, who visited friends at the University of Scranton in the mid-1980s. “It feels like the architecture is very pure ... I just love the sense of history of it. It’s also a great college town.”

PUC drops 200 homes from Angwin plan
Affordable housing element reduced, critics remain opposed
Register - 5 Apr 2007
...ANGWIN, CA - Pacific Union College officials announced Tuesday they have reduced their planned development in Angwin by 200 homes, but opponents made it known they still believe PUC’s plans to add homes in the Upvalley college town are a mistake.

PUC originally unveiled plans for a 591-home “eco-village,” including a new park in town and new stores. The proposal is driven by the college’s effort to increase its endowment fund and pay for operating expenses, financial needs that college officials say have become increasingly serious ...

Currents: The evolution of the strip
Daily Egyptian - 5 Apr 2007
... CARBONDALE, IL - Despite some negative sentiments, a veritable downtown revitalization has taken hold in the past decade as empty storefronts have been filled by local businesses and strong efforts from the city and Carbondale Main Street organization have revamped the Strip. Downtown business owners and the city have worked to shed the party image and create a more family friendly atmosphere.

With 168 businesses located in the downtown district, their efforts have been largely successful, but there is more work to be done, Conley said. There are still a few empty buildings and the heavy traffic along Rte. 51 and Rte. 13 hurts passerby business and curb appeal - the welcoming appearance of storefronts and sidewalks, Conley said.

"I think that [improving curb appeal] would help tremendously, in making it a friendly place to be, more community friendly," she said.

The Strip is not just battling heavy traffic and poor curb appeal, however. Assistant City Manager for Economic Development Kevin Baity said there has been a change in consumers from largely students decades ago to daytime shoppers and business professionals today. The town square, which lacked a student presence in Baity's time at the university in the 1980s, has been revitalized largely by appealing to a different consumer base ...

UT's student room boom
Residential units near campus hot, as investor shows
KnoxNews - 5 Apr 2007
... KNOXVILLE, TN - A Chicago-area company has jumped into Knoxville's student housing market, and it's looking for more deals.

Prime Property Investors, of Northbrook, Ill., dropped more than $10.5 million on four apartment properties within walking distance of the University of Tennessee campus.

The deal comes at the same time that new residential units are popping up near campus, highlighting the fact that investors are bullish about demand for student living space near UT ...

More than 600 students rejected from housing
Diamondback - 5 Apr 2007
... COLLEGE PARK, MD - Resident Life dropped 639 juniors and seniors from on-campus housing Tuesday, telling them by e-mail that housing next year is so overcrowded they should seek housing off the campus.

The move, which means the only seniors next year living on-campus will likely be housed in South Campus Commons and the Courtyards, elevates this year's housing crunch to a crisis that has sent hundreds of students scrambling for leases and landlords. Even after turning away the students by e-mail this week, Associate Director of Resident Life Jan Davidson said dorms are now overbooked by 600 beds ...

BEER OR BUST?
Daily Journal - 5 Apr 2007
... OXFORD, MS - If the Oxford Board of Aldermen passes a proposed keg ordinance, party hosts will need to be more careful about serving underage or inebriated guests.

Under the proposal, buying a three-gallon-or-larger container of beer or light wine would require a permit from the city clerk’s office. The purchaser’s name, address and age would be recorded along with the address where the keg will be served.

The purchaser also would sign a statement that he does not intend to serve minors, and no person or address would be allowed more than one keg at a time ...

Varsity Capital Advisors Wins NH Housing Deal
UNH housing
GlobeSt - 5 Apr 2007
DURHAM, NH-Gaining admission to a niche where they see strong potential, an affiliate of Varsity Capital Advisors has acquired a 13-building block of student housing near the University of New Hampshire’s flagship campus. Varsity Durham LLC paid Sumner Properties $20.2 million for the complex in a deal that marks the beginning of a buying/development spree in small- and mid-sized college towns, says VCA principal John Buttarazzi.

“Those communities hold up very well,” Buttarazzi tells GlobeSt.com in explaining why the Virginia-based investment firm is targeting that demographic. Although cities like Boston, New York or Washington, DC sporting multiple schools might be considered for investments, Buttarazzi says he and VCA co-founder David Arthur expect the real gold will be in cities and towns dominated by higher education, as in UNH’s case. The Sumner package, concentrated within walking distance of UNH, is the largest privately held student-housing enclave in Durham. “It’s a tight market up there,” says Buttarazzi. “We like the fundamentals a lot.” ...

Study of College Hill presented
Recommendations push for safety and include expanded parking permit system.
Daily Evergreen - 5 Apr 2007
... PULLMAN, WA - The city of Pullman wants to move forward on recommendations for improving College Hill.

Bill Grimes of Studio Cascade formally presented the Spokane firm’s College Hill Neighborhood Study to the City Council on Tuesday.

The study, first released March 9, makes a number of recommendations for improving the safety and character of College Hill. It frames many of College Hill’s problems as safety issues, and indicates that a greater police presence is needed.

Other priorities outlined in the report include maintaining the historic nature of College Hill, ensuring there is student housing close to campus, and preserving property values ...

Mini-Dorms A New Trend In College Housing?
The Real Estate Blog - 5 Apr 2007
... USA -College housing typically is fairly expensive, and if you live in a city that has fff-campus-housinghigh housing costs, it can be prohibatively so. There is a new trend on the horizon for properties near college campuses that have a shortage of housing on campus, mini-dorms. The idea is that you take a pre-existing single family home and remodel it so that it has many individual dorm style rooms with a common area. The resulting housing can accomodate more students at a lower cost near the university.

The 3 un-named developers are onto something here. Neighbors are not thrilled with the idea, but this is a great free market idea in my opinion and one that should be explored by those who specialize in near campus student housing ...

New concert events designed to bring students to downtown
Times Daily - 5 Apr 2007
... FLORENCE, AL - Problem No. 1: Young people who want to listen to live music -- especially those who aren't old enough to go to a bar or who simply don't want to -- are out of luck.

Problem No. 2: Downtown Florence merchants want to see more University of North Alabama students.

Solution for both? One event that gives young adults and teens in the Shoals the music they crave and downtown retailers the crowds they long for ...

Getting to know you
Two years after the city of Ithaca passed its first noise ordinance,
Ithacan - 5 Apr 2007
... ITHACA, NY - When Pleasant Street resident John Graves moved into his house 20 years ago, he knew he would be living in a college town. What he didn’t know was how hard it would be to get a good night’s sleep.

“I knew students lived here, but I wasn’t ready for quite how bad it was,” Graves said. “And it was bad when we first moved in … we couldn’t get any enforcement. We couldn’t get anybody to do anything. The police were very lax. All night the noise was going on, and no one was doing anything.”

But times have changed — especially in the last two years.

In September 2004, the Common Council passed a noise ordinance that allows police officers to issue noise violations without a neighbor’s complaint. Last May, the town of Ithaca made similar changes to its noise ordinance and doubled its fines. The noise hasn’t been eliminated, but Graves and other permanent residents of South Hill say they are finally seeing a difference. As students who live in these neighborhoods are faced with increased police enforcement and up to a $500 fine for a first offense, loud music and packed parties have become less of a problem ...

Students host affordable housing forum
Gauntlet - 5 Apr 2007
... CALGARY, AB - The rate of homelessness in Calgary is growing faster than anywhere else in the province.

In response to this disturbing trend, the University of Calgary's Development Studies Club held a forum to discuss the Calgary housing crisis Thur., Mar. 29.

"We've heard a lot about this present crisis and we wanted to relate the issue to students," said DSC member Michael Nyberg, noting a number of stories club members brought forward about U of C students having to either move or take on part-time jobs as a result of rising rent costs ...

Petitions, phone calls halt 'Girls Gone Wild' elsewhere
Argus-Leader - 5 Apr 2007
... SIOUX FALLS, SD - When the Lava Lounge put the lid on girls going wild Wednesday, it wasn't the first time such an event was banned when community sentiment turned against it.

In January, a nightclub in Bloomington, Ind., canceled a "Girls Gone Wild" party after the Indiana University "Gender Incidents" team began investigating, and a petition was circulated throughout the college town.

"It was the right thing to do," Dave Kubiak, co-owner of Jake's nightclub, told the Herald-Times of Bloomington ...

Annoyed City Council reaffirms position on West Village project
Enterprise - 4 Apr 2007
... DAVIS, CA - In 2003, the then-council proclaimed the city of Davis would like to annex West Village if the development brought the city enough money to pay for the project's police and fire services. The project includes up to 475 single-family homes and townhomes for faculty and staff and apartment housing for 3,000 students.

Greenwald said the council's position should be that it wants to annex the development if at all possible, pointing out that the council does not require affordable or student housing within the city to break even.

“In fact, we have a far better chance of breaking even on this project than the student housing we build here now,” she said. “I want to keep our character as a university town, and I want the students and faculty to be part of that.” ...

Community Day will offer a big buffet of arts, entertainment and knowledge
Stanford News - 4 Apr 2007
... PALO ALTO, CA - Additional programs and performances have been announced for Community Day, an all-day celebration when Stanford invites neighbors onto campus to enjoy dozens of family-oriented activities hosted by groups throughout the university. All activities are free and will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 15 ...

Horizon plan hearing brings mixed reactions
Item - 4 Apr 2007
... HUNTSVILLE, AL - “Concentrate on crafting an entertainment district for historic downtown Huntsville and the University Avenue corridor,” Bell said. “Turn it into a destination for students, local residents and tourists. (Other college towns), they thrive.

“They have great local diversity, they attract students and tourists and they have a great community of retirement people because they are actually attracted to university towns.”

“Concentrate on renovating and preserving the historic buildings, the natural creeks and beautifying the historic district,” Bell said. “The more unique we are, the better.” ...

Cornell should review its tax exempt claims carefully
Journal - 4 Apr 2007
... ITHACA, NY - Cornell's leaders make choices that have more influence on the warmth of town-gown relations than beneficial but indirect university impacts. Former President Hunter Rawlings' praiseworthy decision, for example, to relocate hundreds of his subordinates to Seneca Place contributes to the economic vitality of our county. Our attention now turns to David Skorton and his anticipated efforts to improve Cornell's commitment to the community.

President Skorton believes that “... balance of payments is hugely positive and that it greatly exceeds the tax base we're not paying,” though he does wonder “... how positive should that balance be.” That begs the question of, ethically, just how much property tax the university should pay ...

Voters send newcomers to Whitewater City Council
Gazette - 4 Apr 2007
...WHITEWATER, WI - Nosek, 58, is a local dentist. During his campaign, Nosek said one of the main issues facing the city is to maintain the integrity of the neighborhoods.

The expansion of UW-Whitewater student housing is causing hardship to residential neighborhoods. It's an old problem that is now spreading beyond the central university area into all districts within the community.

"It's our San Andreas Fault or Achilles heel," Nosek said. "We're at the mercy of student housing abuses. I want to see neighborhoods shown the respect they deserve." ...

Neighbors protest future mini-dorm
Union-Tribune - 4 Apr 2007
... SAN DIEGO, CA - Dozens of residents from the usually quiet tree-lined Chalcedony Street in Pacific Beach gathered with city officials yesterday at a home that could soon accommodate up to 18 renters.

Fearful that a so-called “mini-dorm” is under construction, neighbors called an impromptu meeting to ask City Attorney Michael Aguirre and Councilman Kevin Faulconer to intervene and stop the conversions that have stirred heated debate in the College Area.

The home in question, a three-bedroom bungalow, recently sold and is being remodeled to include six additional bedrooms. The home's owner could not be reached for comment ...

Unite to develop prime city site
The Journal - 4 Apr 2007
... NEWCASTLE, UK - Student housing developer and investor Unite has won the race for a prime Newcastle city centre site which could accommodate a large development with room for up to 350 student beds.

The Bristol-based company, which already owns and manages 785 beds in three student hostels in the city centre, is understood to have seen off competition from Newcastle-based developer Hanro for the 1.2 acre site ...

OHSU's waterfront vision: 2 million square foot campus
Oregonian - 4 Apr 2007
... PORTLAND, OR - Oregon Health & Science University, which opened its first South Waterfront high-rise beachhead just last fall, is now headed toward its biggest transformation ever.

The university's preliminary vision for its 20 acres on the South Waterfront, made public this week, proposes a true college campus from scratch that would eventually rival the Marquam Hill campus. The new Schnitzer Campus, on land donated by the Portland family in 2004, would become the center of gravity for a new educational mission uniting student doctors, nurses, dentists and others in interdisciplinary classrooms.

Five university schools would eventually relocate to the waterfront campus ...

Vandalism most fowl:Va. Tech mascot targeted
Times - 4 Apr 2007
... BLACKSBURG, VA - Vandals have been breaking and stealing fiberglass images of the Virginia Tech mascot, Hokie Bird, placed across the region ...

Questioning the new opportunities to become involved in local decisionmaking
News - 3 Apr 2007
... UK - People and organisations that in the past have been excluded from the process are now being invited to participate in decision-making about their own communities, but a new booklet entitled ‘Localism and local governance’, published today by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), questions whether it is really happening ...

Among a number issues covered by the publication, it queries how open the new governance mechanisms are for local involvement and examines voluntary and community organisations’ readiness to respond, particularly in ‘hard-to-reach’ populations. In addition, it points out that policymakers have added a number of governance mechanisms and structures to encourage engagement – without stopping to consider how they each relate to one another, or the complexity that this presents to the public ...

Families with children few and far between in downtown condos
The Capital Times - 3 Apr 2007
... MADISON, WI - Madison's burgeoning downtown condominiums are popping up like springtime weeds as retirees, young couples and singletons seek real estate in the heart of the city.

Yet the cosmopolitan new addresses have failed to attract more than a handful of families with children.
Families with children few and far between in downtown condos.

The lack of school-age kids living in downtown condos is startling: There are only four, according to September 2006 figures from the Madison Metropolitan School District. A total of 76 elementary and high school students live in all of downtown, including 18 in shelters. The figure does not include kids who attend private school ...

Entrepreneurs add flavor to Granville
Dispatch - 3 Apr 2007
... GRANVILLE, OH - Tina and Randy Corbin are turning a pizza shop in Granville into a casual restaurant.
Granville may be seen as a sleepy little college town, but that doesn't mean the dining options have to make you snooze.

The burg has been known for years as the home of a couple of fine-dining inns: the Buxton and the Granville.

In recent years, however, a few entrepreneurs have been looking to spice things up with new restaurants and menus.

The most active has been Jerry Martin, who, with a group of investors, bought Brews Cafe and then the Granville Inn ...

Cold Stone, Salsarita's to open soon at plaza
Press & Sun-Bulletin - 3 Apr 2007
... BINGHAMTON / VESTAL, NY - The Cold Stone Creamery ice cream shop and Salsarita's Fresh Cantina "Fresh-Mex" restaurant will open soon at University Plaza on the Vestal Parkway.

Ken Thoms, co-owner of the Dickinson Cold Stone, said in August that he would open the businesses at the plaza, which features various restaurants, other companies and student housing.

College-geared Rugby store closes Franklin Street doors
Duke Chronicle - 3 Apr 2007
... CHAPEL HILL, NC - To the dismay of preppy-punk shoppers sporting skull-and-crossbones polo shirts, the Rugby Store on East Franklin Street in Chapel Hill closed its doors March 10, after just two years of business.

"Rugby had a product and brand that just didn't match our market," said Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of the Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce. "Our men don't dress that preppy."

The Chapel Hill closing coincided with the closing of a second Rugby venue in Charlottesville, Va ...

Blacksburg council says 'no' to large retail buildings
Collegiate Times - 3 Apr 2007
... BLACKSBURG, VA - The Blacksburg town council recently passed an ordinance that will work to limit the size of retail buildings that come to the Blacksburg area to 80,000 square feet.

“I think residents would prefer it if we tried to protect the small town character of Blacksburg,” said Donald Langrehr, a Blacksburg town council member who proposed the ordinance. “We have to ask ourselves how large we want our stores to be in the future.” ...

Energy plans look to involve students
OPP has implemented a series of new initiatives to change how Penn State uses its energy.
The Collegian - 2 Apr 2007
... STATE COLLEGE, PA - Student involvement in these initiatives has the potential to limit tuition increases, said Sean Flynn, the facilities chair of the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA).

"Twenty-five percent of each student's tuition goes to [paying for] energy. When I heard that, my jaw just dropped," Flynn said.

After receiving positive feedback, the Take Charge campaign plans to extend its initiative to the entire campus in the fall, with the ultimate goal of reducing energy consumption by 30 percent campus-wide, said David Manos, the assistant director of housing ...

West Chester student denied run for Borough Council
Daily Local News - 2 Apr 2007
...WEST CHESTER, PA — A West Chester University student who was hoping to run for Borough Council won’t be able to, because of a registration error on the part of the Chester County Department of Voter Services.

Anthony Pugliese, a WCU sophomore, was registered in the 4th Ward and planned to run in the May primary as a Republican. But Voter Services recently told him his residence, University Hall, a student housing complex on campus, is not in the 4th Ward.

“He wasn’t doing wrong on purpose,” said Lynn Doherty, a staff person for Voter Services. “He had been told he was in the 4th Ward, and we had him registered in the 4th Ward.” ...

A 'private dorm' on North Campus
896 bedrooms planned for apartment complex
Michigan Daily - 2 Apr 2007
... Ann ARBOR, MI - The complex, developed by the Education Realty Trust and called The Courtyards, will consist of three five-story buildings near the intersection of Plymouth Road and Broadway Road, across from Bursley Residence Hall.

Each bedroom in the new complex, which is being billed as a private dorm for students, will have its own bathroom but will share a common area and kitchen.

The complex will have 896 individual bedrooms, which will be leased in units ranging from one bedroom and bathroom to four bedrooms and bathrooms. It is slated to open by the fall of 2008 and will include amenities like a washer and dryer in each apartment, a cyber caf?, a mini-movie theater, an outdoor badminton court and tanning beds ...

Western University Student Housing Sells for $15M
Virtu Investments, Lowe Enterprises Acquires 100-Unit Multifamily Site in Pomona
CoStar Group - 3 Apr 2007
... POMONA, CA - A joint venture of Carlsbad, CA-based Virtu Investments and Lowe Enterprises Investors purchased the 100-unit apartment community at 510 E. 3rd St. in Pomona, CA, for $15.1 million, or about $151,250 per unit.

Known as Helix at University Village, the 90,966-square-foot property serves graduate students at Western University. It was constructed in 2005 and includes two large public courtyards, a fourth-floor terrace and lounge, a fitness center, indoor study areas and an outdoor barbeque area. The unit mix consists of 24 studios, 24 one-bed/one-bath units and 52 two-bed/one-bath units. It sold at a 5.89% capitalization rate ...

After Duke, alums opt to call Bull City home
Duke Chronicle - 2 Apr 2007
... DURHAM, NC - Regardless, Dukies migrate back every year to make Durham their home after graduation. Roughly 20 percent of Duke alumni live in North Carolina-nearly half of whom reside in the Raleigh-Durham area.

Due in part to alumni who return for graduate school, making up one-fifth of the University's graduate population, the area comprises the largest percentage of young Duke alumni, topping even New York City.

So what exactly is the allure of Durham and what keeps Dukies coming back after their four undergraduate years?

The hassles of big city living, affordable housing and congested transportation and parking frustrations generally draw alumni back, Hanauer said. After spending a few years in a big city, she said people want something different.

"When you walk into the James Joyce [Irish Pub and Restaurant] on a Monday night and you know the Monday night crowd and the bartenders and the wait staff and everyone is connected in some way, I think that's pretty neat," Hanauer said ...

OSU's MBA students get housing option
Dispatch - 2 Apr 2007
... COLUMBUS, OH - Edwards Communities is building Fisher Commons, a 118-unit apartment complex designed for graduate business students at Fisher College. Located at the southeast corner of Kenny Road and Lane Avenue, the apartments are a mile west of Fisher College, 2100 Neil Ave.

MBA students will be given priority to rent the apartments when they open in the summer, said Jim Miller, executive director of development and external affairs for the college ...

Prime Property Investors, Ltd. Acquires Six Building Student Housing Portfolio at University of Tennessee-Knoxville
PRNewswire - 2 Apr 2007
... KNOXVILLE, TN - Prime Property Investors,
Ltd. ... announced the acquisition of a six building, Student Housing multi-family property portfolio located within blocks of the main campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The portfolio of properties are 100% occupied and are situated within easy walking distance of the center of campus.

The purchase marks Prime's continued expansion of its nationwide Student Housing property portfolio and is the company's first entry into the University of Tennessee student housing market. As a result of the acquisition, Prime becomes one of the largest close to campus property owners at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Future acquisitions at the Knoxville campus and at other major university towns, throughout the country, are planned as Prime continues to grow its nationwide holdings of Student Housing properties ...

Off-campus crackdowns not unique to UT area
Independent Collegian - 2 Apr 2007
... TOLEDO, OH - In December, the UW System quietly formed a committee to recommend ways to expand the reach of its student conduct code.

A growing number of colleges and universities have begun sanctioning students for off-campus behavior ranging from sexual assault to noise violations. The University of Colorado-Boulder suspends students for a semester if they receive two citations for underage drinking, on campus or off.

"A lot of college and universities are moving in this direction," said Jim Hill, dean of students at UW-Milwaukee and a member of the Chapter UWS 17 and 18 Review Committee, named after the codes under review. "The University of Wisconsin System wants to move that way, too." ...

Rooming houses under fire
Barrie neighbourhood fed up with rowdiness
Examiner - 2 Apr 2007
... BARRIE, ON - The crackdown on city rooming houses continues tonight.

A public meeting will held on new definitions for boarding/lodging houses, rooming houses and new zoning standards being proposed by city staff.

New regulations for room size, access to kitchens, parking and minimum distances between such houses are also being proposed.

The Barrie East End Homeowners’ Association, which has more than 100 members, says it’s wanted these changes discussed publicly for the past year ...

Conquest To Pitch New I.V. Housing to Evicted Cedarwood Occupants
Daily Nexus - 2 Apr 2007
... ISLA VISTA, CA - The general contractor for Conquest Student Housing reviews plans as a construction worker erects the first structures of Nylon Terrace. The company decided to aid the expelled residents by building a tent city in nearby Anisq’ Oyo’ Park.

This story appears as part of the Daily Nexus’ 2007 April Fools’ issue.
After months of controversy surrounding Conquest Student Housing, the property management company has announced plans to open a new complex in Isla Vista for the low-income tenants it evicted last summer.

The complex, tentatively named Nylon Terrace, is modeled after various tent cities throughout the country. Conquest owner Alan Smolinsky said the complex will consist of about 50 tents, all of which have four nylon walls, a floor made of palm fronds, and no roof ...

On the lookout
Colorado Daily - 2 Apr 2007
... BOULDER, CO - So what does this college senior know about starting a business?

According to Williams, who was one of Crocs footwear's first salespeople, the idea has been brewing since 2005 when he and his sister started Dorm Room Decorators, a top-to-bottom, dorm decorating service where customers can buy individual packages (bed, bath, desk) and themed packages (rasta, hippie) to accessorize their dorm room.

While The Lounge will offer the Dorm Room Makeover services as well, it will also focus on apparel.

“You've got students spending anywhere from $2,500 a month on $400 jeans, $600 on a handbag, even $40 for shampoo,” said Williams. “We're looking to meet that need.” ...

Website offers homework help - at a price
Users place bids to answer questions at Student of Fortune. Some say services border on cheating.
Daily Torjan - 2 Apr 2007
... LOS ANGELES, CA - Auction websites have been known to offer everything from designer bags to alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary on a slice of toast, but one new site's product is of high demand to college students: homework help.

Shortly after graduating from Occidental College in 2006, Sean McCleese teamed up with a friend to launch the online tutoring site Student of Fortune.

The website, which functions like a cross between eBay and Yahoo! Answers, allows students to submit questions and place a "bounty" ranging from 25 cents to a few dollars for a correct answer ...

Duke DA backlash
Newsday - 2 Apr 2007
... DURHAM, NC - Sitting on the stoop of his small wood-sided home, on a parcel of scrub pines carved from a former tobacco plantation, William Ragland, 76, said he wanted to see justice, and soon, in the Duke lacrosse case.

And that would mean putting on trial not the lacrosse players, but the district attorney who led the early prosecution of the case, said Ragland...

Call for halt to flats let out to students
Herald - 2 Apr 2007
... GLASGOW, SCT - A group of residents has called for a halt to further multiple student lets being permitted amid claims that quiet residential areas are being shattered by loud parties.

According to campaigners in North Kelvinside in the west end of Glasgow, rules which cap numbers of multiple occupancy flats are being flouted, damaging quality of life for families.

Glasgow, like many of Scotland's major towns and cities, has been trying to curb the spread of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) without creating an accommodation crisis. Glasgow's City Plan states there should be no more than 10% house in multiple occupancy flats in a defined zone around the Glasgow University area, with a 5% limit outside that area ...

Shared responsibility
Herald - 1 Apr 2007
... GLASGOW, SCT - The expansion of university places, combined with a decrease in traditional halls of residence, has resulted in greater numbers of students than ever before renting flats from private landlords. In university towns and in the student quarters of our cities this has become a particular problem. The lifestyles of young people experiencing their first taste of freedom all too frequently clash with those of established residents, who are often elderly people and families with young children. Being close to a university used to mean living in one of the pleasanter parts of our cities. In some cases it has now come to mean the reverse.

The problems are worst when the two groups share the same buildings, such as in tenements in the west end of Glasgow, where a noisy party in one flat cannot be blocked out in the adjoining ones. The difficulty has been recognised by the imposing of a limit of 10% on the proportion of houses in multiple occupation in the area closest to Glasgow University and 5% elsewhere in the city. Residents in the area just outside the 10% zone say that in some streets the level of HMO houses has reached 11% where it should be 5%. Their complaints that the limit on the number of houses in multiple occupation is not working echo those made in other areas with large student populations ...

U-M students, others join to clean up sites around city
Free Press - 1 Apr 2007
DETROIT, MI - The Detroit Project, a student group from the University of Michigan, was started nine years ago when the first Detroit Project Day was held to clean up blight in the city. Over time, the group grew, and U-M students began to mentor and tutor children in Detroit elementary schools. The group seeks to build a relationship between the university and city, while engaging students in service work ...

Coming into the city, some said, opens the students' eyes.

But the project is not a charity.

"This is not something where we're here, coming out to help the poor people who we pity," said U-M junior Michael O'Brien, 20, of Toledo. He is the director of public relations for the Detroit Project, now in its ninth year. "That's not our mind-set."

The purpose, he said, is to encourage students to get involved and learn the importance of volunteerism through service activities, while helping to better neighborhoods ...

Affordable housing not being built
Families stuggling to find place to live
Banner-Herald - 1 Apr 2007
... ATHENS, GA - While the need for affordable housing draws plenty of attention in Athens, it's not just a local problem.

Nationwide, millions of families struggle to find a place to live, and the problem isn't getting any better, according to experts at the University of Georgia's Working in the Public Interest Law Conference.

For the poorest of the poor - those earning less than 30 percent of the median income, or $16,000 for an Athens family of four - housing options are slim to none ...

Blacksburg faces a big-box dilemma
To preserve the town's character, large retailers should receive extra scrutiny.
TIMES - 1 Apr 2007
... BLACKSBURG, VA - Having seen the rapid development of large retail centers in neighboring Christiansburg, some members of Blacksburg Town Council want the ability to limit so-called big-box stores in their community. They should approve an ordinance quickly.

The ordinance proposed by Councilman Don Langrehr would require developers who wish to build a single commercial operation larger than 80,000 square feet to receive approval from town council. That would not prohibit a Target, Home Depot or other gargantuan store, but it would force the town to think about whether a particular proposal is right for the community. Public hearings would play an important role in the process.

Such ordinances exist in many towns across the nation ...

Zoning Changes Proposed to Preserve West Harlem’s Character
New York Times - 1 Apr 2007
... NEW YORK, NY - Columbia University’s proposal for a $7 billion expansion of its campus on 17 acres in West Harlem has touched off fears that another wave of gentrification will wash over this low-scale neighborhood of tenements, brownstones, housing projects, warehouses and small businesses.

Rising rents are already forcing out some longtime residents. Local politicians and community groups fear that Columbia’s project will draw other developers to the surrounding area and displace even more people ...

Ball State finalizes new strategic plan
Faculty, officials say new plan holds university more accountable than first
Star Press - 1 Apr 2007
... MUNCIE, IN - It's precise, concise and nearly complete.

After more than two years of work, Ball State University officials are closing in on finishing a new strategic plan, the document that will guide the university's agenda for the next five years ...

University of Toledo Trying to Head Off Annual 'Alvin Fest'
WTOL - 1 Apr 2007
...TOLEDO, OH - For some, it's a sure sign of spring, and a way to blow off some steam toward the end of the semester at the University of Toledo. For others, it's drunken debauchery that gives UT a black eye year after year. Now both sides are fighting over whether to have another "Alvin Fest" this year.

Alvin Street is in the Bancroft Hills neighborhood near the UT campus. Many homes are rented out to university students. For one day in April, the area is turned into college party central, for "Alvin Fest." ...

UW wants to clamp down on students' off-campus acts
Seattle Times - 1 Apr 2007
... SEATTLE - Rowdy students living on Greek Row and in the surrounding neighborhood would face a new three-strikes rule under a proposed expansion of the University of Washington's authority.

In the past, most off-campus behavior has fallen outside the UW's jurisdiction. But university officials, responding to a recent spate of violence and to longtime community concern over disorderliness, are proposing a two-year pilot program under which they would keep files on students who misbehave ...

W. Chester's student drinkers: Let bar owners pay for policing
When West Chester bars close, students can cause problems. A Borough Council candidate offers a solution.
Inquirer - 1 Apr 2007
... WEST CHESTER, PA - My first response to the question of "how to pay for policing college drinkers" is that not all students drink to excess, not all of the people who cause problems are students, and not all of the problems can be fixed with more police officers. But recognizing that any solution will require money, I would bill the people who sell alcohol and leave it up to them to decide how to pass it on to their customers.

At a recent meeting of the [West Chester] University-Neighborhood task force, the owner of one of West Chester's more notorious late-night establishments mentioned that his gross income was between $1.3 million and $2 million dollars per year ...

Downsize to Survive
In a Financial Bind? Take a Cue from Business: Cut Costs Now
Consumer Affairs - 1 Apr 2007
... USA - If you decide to downsize by moving to a more affordable community, or even another state, you may actually find that you can move to a larger home or apartment while still paying far less.

For example, checking the current listings of the online site of a major real estate company (which includes listings from other companies as well) in the pricey Westchester, N.Y., suburb of Scarsdale, $369,000 will get you a 2-bedroom, 2-bath co-op measuring 1,350 feet. Or for $589,000, there is a 1,650-square-foot house for sale with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths on .11 acres of land.

By contrast, in Normal, Illinois, a house measuring 4,475 square feet with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, an in-ground pool, and a large piece of property is listed for $375,000. (Normal might sound, well, abnormal but it's the home of Illinois State University and, like many college towns, offers not just inexpensive housing but cultural events, good medical care and lots of sporting events) ...

Experts say fears of a 'student ghetto' unfounded
Durham Region News - 1 Apr 2007
.... OSHAWA, ON - Forget that stereotypical student apartment.

When it comes to off-campus housing, Oshawa’s post-secondary scholars are living like kings.

Jacuzzi bathtubs, backyard decks, central air, gleaming hardwood floors and stainless steel appliances are just some of the perks that come with living in the high-end homes that buffer the Durham College/UOIT campus ...

Use Google to Search CollegeTownLife.com

Google
WWW http://www.collegetownlife.com

Older News Archives

Note on dead links
Back Home to
College Town Issues
Contents Page

Please send comments and suggestions to editor@collegetownlife.com

SiteMeter