Where is everyone going?
It’s hard to look around the River Mill Apartment complex and not ask that question.
The River Mill complex, located on Baldwin Street, is one of the apartment choices for students that want to live on campus.
In years past, high demand made these close-to-campus apartments difficult - if not impossible – to rent. But recently this trend has changed.
According to Deborah Harding, a sales associate in the River Mill office, the unit occupancy percentage dropped from 98 percent in the 2008 spring semester to a mere 76 percent in the 2009 semester.
“Our rates did not go up over that stretch,” Harding said. “We can’t really explain what caused the drop in residents.”
In an effort to attract more people, Randy Whiteson, the property owner of River Mill, decided to renovate the entire complex. New hardwood floors, new kitchen cabinets, and new bathroom tile were included. Whiteson says that these upgrades will attract a number of new residents for the upcoming leasing period.
“We had to increase the rates in order to finance the renovations,” Whiteson said. “But the changes are drastic and it really makes up for the slight rise in monthly rent.”
According to Whiteson, monthly rent for a one bedroom apartment increased $28. Rent for a two bedrooms increased $67. Rent for three bedrooms increased $83.
“We understand that students are apprehensive to spend more money,” Whiteson said. “But we still feel that it’s a small increase and that the existing residents will stay with us.”
One resident who apparently isn’t impressed with the renovations is Alex Clark-Youngblood, a fourth-year international affairs major from Roswell, who decided to move off campus in order to save money.
“I mean, the changes are nice but it still isn’t worth an extra $1,000 [a year] to live there,” Clark-Youngblood said. “I won’t be able to walk to class anymore, but I’m saving a ton of money [by moving off campus].”
So why are so many students ignoring the once-popular River Mill location?
New apartment complexes are popping up everywhere. Students have several options as to where they want to live. River Mill, which has been around since 1972, may be too antiquated for students who now have alternative options.
“That’s the main reason why we decided to renovate,” Whiteson said. “I bought this property four years ago and noticed that its perception was that it was a little old.”
Regardless of perception, students are inconveniencing themselves in order to save money and River Mill may no longer be able to profit from its location.
For Randy Whiteson’s sake, the newly renovated rooms combined with close campus proximity will have to lure people away from the cheaper alternatives that make off-campus living the more practical choice for students.
Edited by Courtney M. Holbrook
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Courtney,
ReplyDeleteYou're missing a byline from this story, and remember you want a headline at the top, tags at the bottom.
It's a pretty good story. Question leads aren't usually a good idea, but this one works pretty well. You want to come in immediately in the third sentence, though, and explain that students are leaving the apartment -- not wait until the fourth graph like you do here. That question has to be justified as soon as possible.
Good sourcing in this story, but there's a little clarity issue around the renovations and the raised rent. When were renovations undertaken, and when were they completed? Must have been before the 2008 to 2009 occupancy drop, according to the sales associate quoted. Those are really good numbers, by the way, comparing the occupancy rate from year to year. They make it a solid story.