University of Oregon business major Adam Rosling and his roommates picked up keys from the check-in table at the new 13th and Olive complex and headed to the door labeled 2103. They were met with surprise and excitement as they entered and saw that they were in a poolside unit. It came as a surprise because the group had signed the lease for a non-poolside apartment.
Two hours later, management knocked on the door and informed Rosling and his roommates that the numbers on the doors had been misplaced. Then management told them they were in the wrong room and needed to move their belongings across the hall to the unit currently labeled 2104. According to Rosling, managers explained the painters had put the wrong numbers on the doors. The group was compensated with $25 gift cards.
On Sept. 25, when new tenants began moving into the new downtown apartment complex, signs of construction were still apparent: holes in the ceiling where lights should be, an unfinished fitness center and a light layer of sawdust coating the hallways.
The building was said to be finished five days prior to the start of classes on Sept. 25 and while the rooms were mostly completed, some amenities and communal spaces were not. The fitness center was unfinished and hallways were still under construction. Residents were sent an email on move-in day explaining that the amenities were behind schedule but many students such as Kristina Rouse, UO family and human services major, didn’t think it would take almost a month.
Pat Walsh, Eugene Capstone representative, told The Register-Guard on Sept. 26 that construction would be finishing up in the next few weeks but there are still hallways under construction.
Despite the amenities taking some time, overall people are relatively happy with the actual units. Tenants enjoy the furnished living rooms and the appliances in the kitchens. Although some issues of leaking dishwashers, rushed paint and installation jobs have been reported.
Madison Vilhauer, UO double major in sociology and psychology, said that there are bound to be problems with new buildings.
Vilhauer’s electricity has shut off twice since she has been in the building because of circuit breaker issues, but she is optimistic based on the customer service she has received.
“When (the electricity) went off I called the maintenance line because the office was closed,” she said. “And not 10 minutes later a guy showed up to fix it.”
However, not every tenant feels that service is that responsive. Communication is what tenants agree is the main issue. While most people working in the new complex are friendly and try to help, residents feel that they never get a definitive answer on completion dates and feel the work orders go unaddressed.
“The apartments themselves are really nice,” Rouse said. “But there are a lot of things that construction and management got behind in that resulted in them putting off resident maintenance requests because they considered them of ‘lower priority.’”
According to Walsh, staff is going around this week to each unit and making sure all work orders have been addressed and to help meet all other tenant concerns.