UCLA expands graduate housing
By Chris Benderev
Aug. 23, 2009 10:48 p.m.
UCLA will make space for hundreds more graduate students on Weyburn Avenue with new university housing dated for completion in 2012.
The UC Board of Regents recently approved an effort to raise funds for 504 new studio apartments to be built at the corner of Weyburn Avenue and Weyburn Alley. The new apartments will be an addition to the Weyburn Terrace complex, which opened in 2006.
The project comes with a projected $121 million price tag, said Pete Angelis, assistant vice chancellor for housing and hospitality services. State funds will not be used to pay for the project.
Angelis said $110 million will come from bonds sold by the university, while the remaining amount will come from UCLA housing reserves accrued from student housing fees.
All expenses are expected to be covered within several years through collection of graduate-student rent payments, said Mike Foraker, special assistant for the administrative vice chancellor.
Student housing fees will be increasing next year for a variety of reasons, Angelis said, though he declined to provide specifics about the new Weyburn project’s effect on these. He said the housing office estimated a nominal increase in student housing fees would cover the project’s debt services if this were deemed necessary.
Graduate students currently living at Weyburn Terrace gave mostly positive opinions of the new project with some caveats. While almost all agreed university housing was desirable and conveniently close to campus, a few expressed some concern over the costs to students.
Nicole Van Groningen, a first-year medical school student who lives in Weyburn Terrace, said she would pay slightly more to continue living in university apartments.
But if it went up significantly, she’d feel like it wasn’t worth the money, Van Groningen said.
Ryan Gustafson, a second-year dental student at Weyburn Terrace, said he approved of the new project even if it incurred higher living fees.
“I don’t have a problem with it because I think it will allow UCLA to bring more good talent to the school,” Gustafson said.
Foraker said the university plans to open the project to bids by contractors at the start of 2010. UCLA anticipates the project will be finished in July 2012, he said.
Angelis said he foresees project costs coming in well under the $121 million estimate.
“It’s an opportune moment in time to get favorable construction bids,” Angelis said.
Angelis added that incredibly low interest rates will likely make financing the project cheap by historical standards.
The new apartment complex will include ample common space for the Weyburn Terrace community, Angelis said. A conference room, a large multipurpose room, two breakout meeting rooms and a social gathering space with televisions will all be part of the new addition, he said.
Foraker said the university recognizes the potential issue of construction noise and will work to ensure that building does not begin before 7 a.m. and that it occurs mostly on weekdays.
“I can assure you we will take that very seriously,” Foraker said.
He said he sees the new additions as essential to the larger academic goals of UCLA’s graduate departments.
“We’re often in competition for these extraordinary, bright students with other prestigious college university campuses,” Foraker said. “One thing we’ve been told many years now is that the availability of housing as part of a recruiting package helps to level the field in the recruiting process.”
Foraker added that although the additional 504 units will still not be enough to guarantee university housing for two years to all graduate students, it will put UCLA much closer to that eventual goal.
Ross Shideler, the associate dean of the graduate division, echoed the importance of being able to offer university housing to prospective students.
For many, UCLA can make the offer of two full years in the nearby apartments, Shideler said. He added that graduate department chairs have told him that these offers are invaluable.
“They all give me very specific examples of, we had somebody who was sitting on the borderline,” Shideler said. “When we said okay we can arrange to give you two years”¦ people say okay I’ll come.”
