Originally published November 19, 2010
Main Street Commons was unable to reach its recent leasing goal, but the company is continuing to market the alternative housing option.
According to the project’s website, the company hoped to have all 188 units leased by Nov. 1.
Now nearly three weeks have passed since the deadline and only 40 apartments have been leased.
“What we are trying to do is get the word out to students who think that the apartments are full,” said Main Street Commons Marketing Specialist and Leasing Agent Jennifer Dunbar. “We want to let them know that there is still space and we welcome those students with open arms.”
Dunbar said marketing of the building complex is still continuing, and depending on the success of an open house at One World Cafe Thursday, several more events may be scheduled.
“Students will be able to come and discuss the building, see carpet samples and get a better feel for what living in Main Street Commons would be like,” she said.
One difference between living in Main Street Commons and in the St. James Complexes is that after a recent change in housing policies, the Main Street Commons will allow students to have co-ed tenants.
“I hope [the change in policy] will interest more students to live at Main Street Commons,” Dunbar said. “I can’t read the minds of the students, but I think that it gives students an option that students didn’t have before.”
Aside from being unable to reach leasing goals, Dunbar said construction of the building is running smoothly.
“Everything is on schedule,” she said. “In fact it is farther along than planned, so we are doing really well.”
Dunbar said there are no plans to address neighborhood concerns about the building’s construction of an outdoor pool.
“That was one neighbor that had a complaint, and we haven’t made any plans to change anything,” she said. “Right now we are focusing on the first stage of the project which is the five-story building with a parking lot. The pool is not in the first stage, as this progress we will look more into those concerns.”
Units are available to undergraduate students, graduate students and to members of the community, Dunbar said.