New student housing amenties
Clay Schneider, Topeka freshman, passes a movie theater and a pool every day while walking to class because he lives in Naismith Hall. Schneider said he feels a definite change in his lifestyle.
“A lot of the stuff here is nicer than what I have at home,” Schneider said. “When I came here it was kind of like wow I am on vacation.”
The $30,000 movie theater, which opened this fall, is Naismith Hall’s newest amenity used to attract students. This month Naismith Hall’s Web site will have a link that allows residents to see which washer and dryers are available in the laundry room. A coffee shop is scheduled to open by the end of the semester. Naismith Hall is not the only student housing complex to boost its amenities.
Housing complexes across Lawrence are increasing their amenities to attract students. The Reserve, 2511 W. 31st St., now offers its residents road side assistance anywhere in Lawrence. The Legends Place, 4101 W. 24th St., spent $10,000 to buy and install its first tanning bed that residents will start using as early as next week.
Competition is one of the reasons for the trend in added amenities. All three housing complexes are under capacity. According to Sam Sankovich, general manager at Naismith Hall, capacity is at 94 percent with 480 residents. Kory Wilcoxson, resident services manager at the Reserve, reports capacity at 91 percent with 655 residents. Tony Yadrich, the assistant manager at the Legends Place, said the capacity is at 86 percent with 543 residents. Keane said the amount of apartment complexes in Lawrence keep amenities competitive.
“Amenities are what set you apart from the competition,” Keane said. “To offer residents something that the others don’t have and something that they will actually use is a great advantage.”
But Sankovich also attributes the trend to the rising standards of student living before college.
“They want these things because they are the generation that has grown up with this,” Sankovich said. “They all have computers, cell phones and these things make it different than it used to be.”
Some amenities like a pool, hot tub and tanning bed have become standard in order to compete in this market according to Tony Yadrich, the assistant manager at the Legends Place.
Amenities can equal higher rent. Kirsten Kuwon, Chicago sophomore, said she thinks her rent payment at the Legends Place will be balanced out by the money she hopes to save from using the tanning bed amenity.
“I’m excited that they are getting a tanning bed here because it is included in the price (of rent) and it is so expensive everywhere else,” Kuwon said.
Ashleigh Garcia, Topeka junior said convenience and comfort would be her motives for using the Reserve’s road side assistance amenity.
“I have AAA but I know a lot of people that work at the Reserve so I just think it would be nice to have someone you know help you,” said Garcia.
Sankovich said he sees the trend lasting as long as the students continue to have options on where to live.
“Because they (the students) are willing to pay for it and we can offer it, that (trend) is not going to stop,” Sankovich said.
Next year, Clay Schneider plans move away from Naismith Hall. Although he said he likes living there, he also said he would like a place with fewer amenities so he can feel more prepared for life after college.
“Sure it is nice to have the pool, the cafeteria and all of that,” Schneider said. “It kind of makes it feel more like a hotel. But I think I am going to try to find a place that is homier so I get used to living on my own.”