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Yea I have to agree, that has the potential to be an ugly building and it does not resemeble the rendering that's in the MasterPlan powerpoint presentation. http://www.uh.edu/about/initiatives/masterplan/. Plus not sure if I heard it here but as I understand it, UH is going the cheap route on buliding the structure. I just hope everything turns out great.

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I agree it's super ugly, but it's supposed to be made of brick and limestone, which you cant tell from the rendering-- so maybe it'll turn out better than it looks. I think the point is just to get more kids on campus as fast (and as cheap) as possible and not worry about the looks for now.

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Also, this is a FRESHMEN dorm. Aesthetics just aren't as important... the number one concern is that it's tough (FORD tough lol). Freshmen abuse everything, so a nice spacious set of lofts is probably not the best idea in the first place.

BTW, has anyone noticed that all of UH's new construction projects are Neo-Brutalist??? Talk about bleh.

Edited by totheskies
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Also, this is a FRESHMEN dorm. Aesthetics just aren't as important... the number one concern is that it's tough (FORD tough lol). Freshmen abuse everything, so a nice spacious set of lofts is probably not the best idea in the first place.

BTW, has anyone noticed that all of UH's new construction projects are Neo-Brutalist??? Talk about bleh.

Ok you all sold me... hey they are freshmen. Just get them in there and they will be ok.

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Ok you all sold me... hey they are freshmen. Just get them in there and they will be ok.

Exactly. Just think of it as "Character growth" experiences.

There is something about youth that going through a "tough" time makes it a badge of honor, and to a lesser extent, a culling of the herd.

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  • 4 weeks later...

or better yet have an alumnus as the Governor of Texas.

Perry awards Texas A&M $5 million grant for biofuels initiative...... just the most recent favor I've heard about.

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stor.../09/daily9.html

Seems like the Aggie governor issues other favors as well....

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/steffy/6524624.html

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Just re-read the announcement and it is 43 acres purchase. So 593 acres. Yes! Now I just hope we can create something where students want to live and hang around campus instead of commuting.

Looks like UH is closing on the property across Spur 5 soon. So that's approximately 70 more acres to add to the 593. Also Dr. Khator has big plans for the new acquisition.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20602099&sid=arwz0pgUIgbw

Great news.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Here are a few new shots of development around campus done a few days ago:

The East Parking Garage. It's gone up quite quick. The lot in front of the garage is open for Calhoun Lofts residents, which are now moving in across the street.

3824366606_411d5aec3b_b.jpg

The floor plan layout for the new Barnes & Noble bookstore that will occupy retail space at the bottom of Calhoun Lofts. They have this lying in the window. Other retail occupants will be an Aramark-operated convenient store, and a dry cleaner. I have no idea when these will open.

3824366534_436e0b9b8a_b.jpg

Finally, a sign on Wheeler Street detailing some information about the new "Freshman Village" or "Wheeler Housing East" project. There hasn't been any part of the structure built yet, but demolition of the previous area has been finished I think.

3823566539_4cdfd00543_b.jpg

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As of last week the undergrad (ie floors 2-5) furnished efficiencies were all gone at Calhoun Lofts. They didn't say how many of them were undergrad furnished efficiencies to begin with.

The "utilities package" includes the first $25 of electricity. The remaining $320/mo. (for an efficiency) is for water, heating, and AT&T U-verse.

Parking in the new garage will be in the mid-$200 range...they said they do not know yet. Residents of Calhoun Lofts are pre-allotted a # of parking spaces in the new garage.

They want 12-month leases, which makes it not really like the typical "on campus housing" setup and more like an off-campus private dorm. Usually, at most places, it is done by semester.

The rooms are very nice...for a few hundred $ more per month than you'd pay to live at Cougar Place you get a significantly nicer setup.

Edited by N Judah
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They want 12-month leases, which makes it not really like the typical "on campus housing" setup and more like an off-campus private dorm. Usually, at most places, it is done by semester.

That's the plan. Twelve month leases will allow the community at UH to remain bustling during the summer time, etc. If UH isn't going to be just about going to class, then it shouldn't die just because classes have let up.

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That's the plan. Twelve month leases will allow the community at UH to remain bustling during the summer time, etc. If UH isn't going to be just about going to class, then it shouldn't die just because classes have let up.

No, I think it's about money. Other schools with bustling campus communities and on-campus housing don't make you pay for 12 months at a time. You can't make a "community" by trapping people into a lease. If it were that easy that goal would have already been achieved by the private dorms a block from campus.

Edited by N Judah
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No, I think it's about money. Other schools with bustling campus communities and on-campus housing don't make you pay for 12 months at a time. You can't make a "community" by trapping people into a lease. If it were that easy that goal would have already been achieved by the private dorms a block from campus.

What trap are you talking about? No one is forcing people to live there. Also, what private dorms are you talking about? If you're referring to Cambridge Oaks, Bayou Oaks, and Cullen Oaks, there is no requirement for twelve month leases there either.

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What trap are you talking about? No one is forcing people to live there. Also, what private dorms are you talking about? If you're referring to Cambridge Oaks, Bayou Oaks, and Cullen Oaks, there is no requirement for twelve month leases there either.

Having to pay for a 12-month lease when you only intend to live there for the schoolyear (or just for a semester) is not going to foster "community." I don't know what would make anyone think that.

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Having to pay for a 12-month lease when you only intend to live there for the schoolyear (or just for a semester) is not going to foster "community." I don't know what would make anyone think that.

Why would someone sign a 12-month lease if they only intend to live there for the school year? It's obviously for those who wish to stay here year-round. If that's not what the person is looking for, then there are plenty of other places to live. Calhoun Lofts is not meant for those who wish to go home to parents in the summer, but to those who are off on their own, and would rather stay where they are at after the school year ends.

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Why would someone sign a 12-month lease if they only intend to live there for the school year?

You can't think of any reasons? Anyway, I think a significant portion of the people who live there will leave for the summer. U of H is hellish during the summer.

It's obviously for those who wish to stay here year-round. If that's not what the person is looking for, then there are plenty of other places to live. Calhoun Lofts is not meant for those who wish to go home to parents in the summer, but to those who are off on their own, and would rather stay where they are at after the school year ends.

Again, I haven't seen that particular setup at any other school's on-campus housing. That was my initial point. It is less like the typical "on campus housing" setup and more like an off-campus private dorm. If, as you've said, this is their way of fostering a "bustling community" I'm not sure what precedent exists.

Edited by N Judah
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You can't think of any reasons? Anyway, I think a significant portion of the people who live there will leave for the summer. U of H is hellish during the summer.

No, I can't unless the student has ill-planned their housing. There are other places to live on-campus that don't require a twelve-month lease, and others that don't offer the option. The reason why UH is "hellish" is because everyone leaves. It's a catch-22.

Again, I haven't seen that particular setup at any other school's on-campus housing. That was my initial point. It is less like the typical "on campus housing" setup and more like an off-campus private dorm. If, as you've said, this is their way of fostering a "bustling community" I'm not sure what precedent exists.

Most other universities typically have off-campus residential areas that are purely student-living communities. UH doesn't have that because it's surrounded by Third Ward, and those who like to stay in one spot after the school year ends are mostly living off-campus in the Medical Center or Midtown. Therefore there is a precedent on other campuses, because at other large campuses, there isn't such a difference between the surrounding off-campus area, and on-campus area like there is here.

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I think it's a good idea to have a 12-month option. Some students want to stay and do research/writing, especially graduate students. It's very disruptive to be told you have to leave during the semester break or the summer. And as the previous poster said, if you don't want a 12-month lease, choose a different place to live.

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The reason why UH is "hellish" is because everyone leaves. It's a catch-22.

Er...and so you're saying that everyone leaves because of a lack of available summer housing? And it is your opinion that the absence of people around is then what makes it "hellish" ?

Most other universities typically have off-campus residential areas that are purely student-living communities. UH doesn't have that because it's surrounded by Third Ward, and those who like to stay in one spot after the school year ends are mostly living off-campus in the Medical Center or Midtown. Therefore there is a precedent on other campuses, because at other large campuses, there isn't such a difference between the surrounding off-campus area, and on-campus area like there is here.

That makes no sense at all. Other schools have dorms, which are on-campus (ie owned by the university), and either you leave in December, or May, or you pay to stay another three months. If you want to live off campus you live in an off-campus apartment, which typically has a yearlong lease, which is what these on-campus lofts are most like. That is what I'm saying.

I think it's a good idea to have a 12-month option. Some students want to stay and do research/writing, especially graduate students. It's very disruptive to be told you have to leave during the semester break or the summer. And as the previous poster said, if you don't want a 12-month lease, choose a different place to live.

Private dorms located a block from campus offer the 10- or 12-month "option." So do private apartments, except it's typically the opposite -- they do not give you the "option" to only stay for the schoolyear. This particular (private apartment) setup is what this particular dorm setup most closely resembles. This is neither bad nor good from my perspective (unless they have trouble filling the dorm, in which case it is definitely a bad waste of university space and resources). I have no idea why somebody would take this viewpoint as a personal affront. Perhaps if less such people attended U of H it would not be so "hellish" and have more of a "bustling community."

Edited by N Judah
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What? Could it be that UH knows the demand for on-campus housing better than the HAIF experts? ;-)

Well I forgot to mention that they did lower the prices. I do not remember what the original prices were, only that they were lowered.

Also I was under the impression that unfurnished efficiencies and furnished/unfurnished one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms were available for undergrads, and all types of units were still available for grad students (ie above the 5th floor or whatever the cutoff is). They had some kind of map with unavailable units crossed out and it was definitely not sold out.

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I don't remember off the top of my head...I think per month the unfurnished efficiency was ~810-ish and the furnished efficiency was ~835-ish? I don't know. They'd probably tell you if you called them up -- who knows, maybe the prices are even lower by now.

Also, the first X people to sign up get free laundry or something like that, but they made it seem like they were extremely close to signing up that X amount of people. Also, though the web site says "move-in special" I was told that, in fact, there is no move-in special.

Alright that's about all I remember about these dorms. They have a rooftop deck with a panoramic view of downtown. If I were a 1L who intended to do a summer associate-ship downtown these dorms would be the obvious choice. But as far as fostering a "bustling community" I really don't think this is the way to do it. In the end the LRT will have more of an effect than anything.

Edit: Actually, I don't think the efficiencies had lowered prices, but it was the other units (1-bdrm, 2-bdrm) that had the lowered prices.

Edited by N Judah
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I don't remember off the top of my head...I think per month the unfurnished efficiency was ~810-ish and the furnished efficiency was ~835-ish? I don't know. They'd probably tell you if you called them up -- who knows, maybe the prices are even lower by now.

Also, the first X people to sign up get free laundry or something like that, but they made it seem like they were extremely close to signing up that X amount of people. Also, though the web site says "move-in special" I was told that, in fact, there is no move-in special.

Alright that's about all I remember about these dorms. They have a rooftop deck with a panoramic view of downtown. If I were a 1L who intended to do a summer associate-ship downtown these dorms would be the obvious choice. But as far as fostering a "bustling community" I really don't think this is the way to do it. In the end the LRT will have more of an effect than anything.

Edit: Actually, I don't think the efficiencies had lowered prices, but it was the other units (1-bdrm, 2-bdrm) that had the lowered prices.

Earlier in this thread, we were told units there would start at about $800, so it doesn't seem they've dropped the price. Thanks for the edit, but after this post, it's pretty clear you don't really know terribly much about their pricing. ;-) Further occupancy and pricing reports will be interesting, but so far, I stand by my statement that it appears UH may actually know more about student housing demand than the resident "experts" at HAIF.

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Earlier in this thread, we were told units there would start at about $800, so it doesn't seem they've dropped the price. Thanks for the edit, but after this post, it's pretty clear you don't really know terribly much about their pricing. ;-)

Well I only know what they told me on the tour, and I have done my best to relay that information here. Having said that, I'm glad you appreciate the edit (which occurred long before you posted your reply) -- and in all seriousness, as soon as you figure out how to use a phone, you can even call them up and ask them for the pricing yourself ;-)

Further occupancy and pricing reports will be interesting, but so far, I stand by my statement that it appears UH may actually know more about student housing demand than the resident "experts" at HAIF.

You might be right -- but the fact is that they did run out of undergrad furnished efficiencies when demand still existed (a calculated move?). But the truth is that sometimes knowing more than a bunch of random people on a website just isn't enough.

Edited by N Judah
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