In an effort to add more apartment-style housing options, Saint Louis University purchased the Grand Forest Apartments and has begun incorporating the 132-apartment complex into the Department of Residence Life housing system.
After taking possession of the property on June 8, SLU has been trying to determine the number of apartments open for students next semester.
Approximately 120 beds are available now for Residence Life to fill.
“We’re hoping a third of the complex will be open by fall,” said Argyle Wade, director of housing operations.
Each apartment includes two bedrooms, one slightly larger than the other. For this reason and in keeping with other apartments on campus, the occupancy for each apartment will be three people.
The pricing will be $1520 per semester per resident. In comparison, a two-bedroom, three-occupant Marchetti Towers apartment with balcony will cost $2,125 per semester per resident. However, unlike Marchetti Towers, Grand Forest residents will have to pay for gas, electricity, phone, cable, Internet and furniture.
Wade said it would be difficult to facilitate the conversion of all the apartments, even only those that will be under Residence Life, between the time frame of the purchase in June and the August move-in dates.
“The University is considering bringing it to the same level of service as other apartments,” Wade said.
Students will be able to rent used beds and desks from the University at the rate of $20 per semester. Wade also said that some companies work with Residence Life to help students rent furniture for apartments.
As for the response rate of students to this new housing option, Wade said that Residence Life is still waiting to hear back from their most recent mailing informing current residents of the new housing option. He said that 25 percent of the available spaces were already filled before summer.
The system for the apartments is to give priority to current residence hall students on a first-come, first-serve basis. After July 13 when the deadline for current residents to express interest passes, transfer students, commuters and possibly graduates will all be considered.
“We want to try to get everybody we can on campus,” Wade said. “It’s an evolving process.”
Any student interested in living in the Grand Forest Apartments should contact Residence Life. Students who have already expressed interest to Residence Life will be contacted via telephone.
Over the summer, maintenance workers have been painting and cleaning carpets of the open apartments.
