Many choices given for off-campus living

As the University nears its goal of 28,000 students by 2010, more companies are constructing new apartment complexes in Tuscaloosa.

Students now have more choices for off-campus living. University Village, Boardwalk and The Bluff at Waterworks Landing are some of the newest apartment buildings available for rent by students.

Boardwalk, which is located off old Montgomery Highway, rents to students from Shelton, Stillman and the University.

“It’s only about 5 miles from the University,” said representative Jodi Enzer. “It is a straight shot from Boardwalk to the stadium. It’s close to Kmart and Wal-Mart, so they don’t have to go on campus to get groceries.”

Rent for Boardwalk is $515 per month. The cost increased $15 from last year. Enzer said students who renewed within the specified time did not have to pay the increased rate.

“We did raise rent, but if they renewed before the end of January, they were able to stay at the same rate,” Enzer said. “Rent will never go up during your lease.”

The monthly rent also includes utilities, cable and Internet, which is a deal Enzer said is not found anywhere else in town.

Those living in the Boardwalk can also take the Tuscaloosa Trolley to campus. Transit Manager Jimmie Cain and representatives of Boardwalk asked Kmart to allow students to park in the store’s lot.

“We couldn’t get a bus in to the complex, so we came up with the idea of having a parking lot at Kmart,” Cain said. “The people at Kmart were fine with it because they thought if students parked there, they would probably shop there.”

The trolley runs on the hour and drops people off in front of the President’s Mansion and picks them up from the Quad. Trolley fair is $2.40 roundtrip.

With all of its amenities, the Boardwalk may not appeal to students who want to live closer to campus. According to an article written by Bobby Degnan published by the Alabama Center for Real Estate, apartment prices are relatively high for close-to-campus living. The average price for a one-bedroom apartment is $570 and the average price for a two-bedroom apartment is $858.

The Bluff is managed by Ellis Trick Inc. Multifamily, the same group that manages the University Downs, Regency Oaks and The Reserve at North River. The Bluff is currently being leased by the University.

LaQual Walker, a transfer student, lived in The Bluff briefly. She said she wanted to live close to campus because there weren’t any spaces available on campus.

“My rent was $450 a month, which is kind of expensive compared to other places in the area,” Walker said. “The only thing that was included in my rent was water. The rooms are significantly larger than other apartments, but you can hear everything that goes on next door.”

ETI Director Jackson Wallace, who is in charge of management of the Tuscaloosa apartment communities, said the properties have a lot to offer.

“I believe it is high quality, and we value our assets,” Wallace said.

Wallace said as the cost of living increases the cost of maintaining the property also goes up. He also said that just because the rent at one ETI property increases does not necessarily mean they will all increase.

“We look at each individual property individually and specifically,” Wallace said.

“Mid-November is when we go through our renewal process.”

Some students decided to live farther away from campus this year. Degnan said there is a noticeable price drop in apartments across the river. A two-bedroom apartment averages $769 and a three-bedroom apartment averages $960. One-bedroom apartments are still close in price, averaging $613 per month.

Corbin Warfel, a junior majoring in business management, began searching for housing in the spring. He said he and his friends noticed that apartments that were closer to the University were as convenient as they were expensive, so they decided to move to the Northport area.

“We found a place further away from campus and we got a better deal,” Warfel said. “My rent is $350, so it’s even cheaper than the dorm I used to live in. It’s quieter and you don’t have to carry groceries across campus if you can’t find a place to park. You also don’t have to worry about [an] RA invading privacy.”