The developer of University Towers is seeking the city’s approval for a new student residence facility that could provide students with additional housing options.
Developer Capstone Companies is working with Val Valentine, president of Valentine Properties, to convince City Council to approve a proposal Oct. 7 for these items to sit adjacent to University Towers on Hillsborough Street, according to Jay Dawkins, student body president and a junior in civil engineering.
Valentine, whose company built University Towers in 1989, said his first duty has always been to the students, and he hopes the City Council passes the proposal for these additions to accommodate for a growing student population.
“We have major demand from college students,” Valentine said. “There are 5,000 new freshman this year alone. They only have so many residence halls where students can go. Once those are full, students have to look for housing outside of the University. The great thing about the apartments we want to build is that they’re close to the academic buildings, closer than some residence halls. We’re even planning on having a parking garage so students can store their cars.”
Andrea Stocks, a freshman in chemistry who lives in University Towers, said she thinks a new residence hall is a good idea, but she’s worried about construction and parking.
“I think it’ll be more fun to have people nearby,” Stocks said. “Construction will be kind of a hassle though. It’s already really hard to drive on Hillsborough during the day, and the construction will only make it worse.”
Another issue Stocks said she hopes is addressed is parking.
“Students park in Val-Park, so I wonder whether or not students can still purchase a spot if they’re not in the apartment complex,” she said.
The plan for the apartment complex, Stand Hope Apartments, differs slightly from University Towers, Valentine said. Instead of having suite-style rooms similar to a dorm, he said these spaces will be like a typical apartment.
The City Council is evenly split on the situation, citing concerns for residents in the vicinity, according to Dawkins.
“Some of the residents in the nearby area are against this proposal,” Dawkins said. “I think these are valid concerns, but you can’t move near a University with 30,000 students and not expect there to be construction. Universities are always growing, and we have to find space somewhere.”
Valentine said some of these residents are against the proposal despite compromises by his company, but the idea has supporters.
Dawkins said this plan will aid surrounding residents in the future.
“Right now they just have this empty lot next to their houses,” he said. “If this residence facility is built, the home owners’ property values will go up too.”
Not only will this complex provide more residence options for students, it will also bring several job opportunities to students, Valentine said.
“The great thing is that students will be able to pick their hours,” he said. “They can work at whatever time of day they want to, morning, noon, or night. They can work it around their class and studying schedule.”
