Sources: Skyler Harper, 785-532-6466, harper@k-state.edu;
and Deborah Kohl, 785-532-3790, dkohl@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Andy Badeker, 785-532-6415, abadeker@k-state.edu
Friday, September 7, 2007
K-STATE'S JARDINE RENOVATION DRAWS MIX OF STUDENTS, FAMILIES
MANHATTAN -- The success of any gathering relies on its guests, and it looks as if Kansas State University's ongoing expansion of the Jardine Apartment Complex is managing just the right mix.
"Jardine has never had the number of undergrads we have now," said Deborah Kohl, coordinator for community development at the complex, "so we were holding our breath" at an Aug. 18 party for residents, which include married couples and families from overseas as well as single students.
"And it was so wonderful to see these traditional undergrads interact with little kids, running around with them and playing dodge ball," she said. "It's going to be the amazing opportunity we thought it would be."
K-State's Jardine, which began after World War II as a set of surplus barracks installed to house GI Bill students and their families, is in the midst of a 10-year, $100 million expansion that includes new buildings and extensive renovation. Phase one will provide 736 new beds, for a total around 1,350 beds; phase two, scheduled to start in 2010, should bring the total bed count to about 1,900, including new construction and renovated units.
"We're doing very well," said Skyler Harper, the assistant director of K-State housing and dining services who is responsible for facilities management. "We just opened 10 out of the 14 new buildings that we have. And we've completed minor renovations to five existing buildings, and we're working on the last one."
Minor renovations include such things as new carpeting, baths and kitchens, Harper said. But starting in summer 2008, seven other buildings will undergo major renovations, which will give those units all the amenities of new construction, such as full-size appliances and in-unit climate control.
"We're basically gutting them and starting over," Harper said. Some of these units will gain sloped roofs and a third floor; many will be enlarged by making two units into one.
The changes go beyond plumbing and appearance.
"No one else in the country is building housing in 'neighborhoods' for all students," whether married, undergraduate or from overseas, Harper said. Being in these mixed neighborhoods -- named West End, Plaza and Denison -- helps residents learn about other cultures and about other groups' concerns. "So we can actually build a community from scratch here," he said.
Either the concept or the company has proved attractive. "When you count spouses and children, we're at about 1,000 residents for the whole complex," Kohl said. "All renovated and traditional housing spaces are full."
All new construction was offered first to former residents of the traditional units, Kohl said. All one-bedroom units and all but a few of the studio lofts went to previous tenants.
"We've always had a really long waiting list," Kohl said. "It's a really affordable place to live. And if you're an international student especially, there's word of mouth that it's a great place for families."
Kohl said they may need to reevaluate the style of apartment when it comes to the next construction phase. Based on demand, she predicts fewer four-bedroom units in favor of one- and two-bedroom places.
Even Jardine's unrenovated "traditional" units are a far cry from the beginnings of married student housing on campus.
The grandmother of a current resident showed up for the opening, Kohl said, and mentioned she had been a tenant back in the postwar barracks days. "She was just in awe of what we've been doing here," Kohl said. "That was fun to see.
"Granted, her grandson is paying a bit more than she was."
No tax dollars are being used for the Jardine redevelopment. Primary funding is from bonds issued by the Kansas Development Finance Authority and private contributions. K-State housing and dining services receives no funding from state, city, local or university sources.