Sophomores and juniors attempting to squat their current on-campus apartments may be relocated to the Station at Mill Point during phase one and two of housing selection beginning this week.
Though the $634 monthly rent matches that of The Oaks, The Station at Mill Point will feature four-bedroom, four-bathroom apartments and have a clubhouse, pool and fitness area onsite. Students living at the Station during the 2012-2013 academic year will only sign nine-month leases, as construction will not be complete until August. Currently, lease terms for The Oaks are 11.5 and 12 months.
“We don’t want to make cost a deciding factor for students,” said Smith Jackson, vice president and dean of Student Life. “We’re trying to equalize the cost of housing the best we can.”
Junior Taryn Tonelli, a music theater major, has lived in The Oaks since the beginning of her sophomore year. In order to keep the lease for her current apartment, Tonelli found a sub-letter when she studied abroad for a semester.
“Had I known we wouldn’t be able to live here next year, I wouldn’t have found a sub-letter before,” Tonelli said.
Tonelli’s roommate, junior Kaila Merrill, is also a music theater major and said the two prefer living in The Oaks because of its proximity to McCrary.
“We can wake up at 7:40 in the morning for our 8 a.m. class,” Merrill said.
Junior Alicia Varcoe said she plans to move to the Station at Mill Point next year for its style of housing and amenities, but knows other students may be inconvenienced having to relocate from current on-campus apartments.
Jackson said he thinks there are plenty of rising juniors and seniors who are looking forward to having the new housing option.
“What I’ve heard is a lot of excitement,” he said. “The main sentiment has been, ‘Will I be able to get into the Station?’”
The Station at Mill Point will have 320 beds, which accommodates more than half of the juniors and seniors currently living on campus, according to an email Jackson sent out to current sophomores and juniors.
The email stated that, as speculated, not all students will be able to keep their current on-campus apartments, but Residence Life will try to fulfill as many requests as possible.