Grad students may bear cost of housing project

by Jennifer Vargas
Daily Bruin Contributor

Graduate students are concerned a new housing project will be
too pricey and may lack a sense of community with the removal of a
commons area.

The Graduate Students Association met with the directors of
on-campus housing Wednesday to discuss the plans for the Southwest
Campus Housing project.

The project will be built in two phases. Cost was a major issue
while making plans for phase one. Some items, like a convenience
store, meeting rooms and satellite health clinics, will be taken
out to reduce the cost of the housing project.

“There is a possibility of building a stand-alone building
(across Weyburn Avenue),” said director of housing Mike
Foraker.

The first phase will now only include the construction of 1,387
bed spaces for single graduate students and upper division
undergraduate students.

“A series of policy decisions, including beds and costs,
drove everything. This is a $100 million dollar project, but we
went way over that,” said Glen Winans, assistant dean of the
Graduate Division.

In addition to the loss of a commons building, the second half
of the project will be delayed until 2010.

Phase two of the housing project would provide approximately 613
bed spaces and about the same amount of parking spaces.

The planned site for construction is Warren Hall, located on
Veteran and Weyburn Avenues. Warren Hall was originally supposed to
be torn down by 2005, and by 2007, there was supposed to be
housing. The campus decided to leave Warren Hall standing until
2010, Foraker said.

Graduate students at the meeting were also concerned with the
cost of living in the new apartments.

“My fear is that paying for new construction will make it
so rent is not cheaper than the surrounding market and it makes
housing unaffordable for students,” said Kerry Muhlestein, a
Near Eastern languages and cultures graduate student.

“While aims are good in the end, at least in our
situation, they are not meeting their goal of making affordable
student housing.”

The original model was based on three different rates. The
average rental rate is predicted to range between $730 to $750 per
month, according to Foraker.

“Until we open bids, we won’t know,” Foraker
said. “I’d be less than honest if I didn’t tell
you that rates would go up aggressively within the next three to
four years.”

Jerry Mann, ASUCLA student support services and student union
director, reaffirmed predictions of students booting the cost.

“Every time a new building comes along, students share in
the fee,” he said.

The site work bid date for the project is set for July 10.
Students will receive housing information on Aug. 10. The opening
is planned for Oct. 27, 2002.