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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us November 9, 2004 Southern Oregon University is about to begin construction on its first new residence hall on campus in more than 40 years. By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings The first phase of construction for a new residence hall on Madrone Street is under way, with crews felling trees, razing houses and breaking ground. On Friday, SOU will commence groundbreaking on the 24 apartments, which will accommodate 96 students. It is scheduled to open for fall quarter 2005 on Madrone Street at Indiana Street, across from the Cascade Residence Hall and the Suzanne Homes halls. No official name for the building has been chosen. Already, work crews from Adroit Construction of Ashland have been clearing the site, which will house the $5.8 million, 34,000-square-foot, two-building, three-story complex, said Jeanne Stallman, SOU's project manager and director of the Siskiyou Center. The complex will feature 12 suites each, and will have four rooms in each apartment. They will feature two bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room area. The building was designed by OgdenKistler Architecture in Medford. The property had eight homes that were used for student housing that were recently demolished. Stallman said the plan was for the Rogue Valley Community Development Corporation to move the homes to another location for affordable housing. The problem, Stallman said, was land could not be found by the mid-September deadline, and the school couldn't find another group to take the homes, which gave them no choice but to demolish the buildings in October. "We were hoping they could find the land, but it didn't work out," she said. "It was most unfortunate because we wanted them to still be used, and not be destroyed." The cost of the project also increased by approximately $400,000, bringing the total to $5.8 million, when the bids went out in August and September, Stallman said. A key factor in added expense was the increase in plywood costs from the hurricanes in Florida and materials needed in Iraq. The price of steel also went up with an increase in oil prices, she said. She said no tax dollars were used to fund the project. The apartments were paid for with self-liquidating bonds, which Stallman said means the debt will be entirely repaid like a mortgage, with the rent income coming from the residents. A key purpose of the new apartments was to try to attract more upperclassmen to stay on campus, Stallman said. Of the nearly 1,000 students who reside in the 13 residence halls at SOU, about 800 are freshmen, she said. "We want [upperclassmen] to have the option of staying on campus, so they don't have to worry about high rent, or having to commute, so they'll have more time for studying," Stallman said. Sophomore Leslie Nylen, who lives in the residence halls, said students are excited about the new apartments. She hopes to be able to move into the complex next fall. "I like that I will still be on campus and have that sense of community," she said. "I like the idea of being independent and still be on campus, and it will be like a house, with a living room and a kitchen, which is nice." Stallman said SOU seniors and juniors will have first priority, with sophomores allowed to move in if there's any space left. They will be priced similar to rooms at Suzanne Homes, she said. The last residence halls built on campus was more than 40 years ago when the Greensprings complex was built. The Cascade residence hall complex was built in 1958, and Suzanne Homes was completed in 1946. Stallman said an important part of the project was to work with the neighbors near the new complex. Since the planning began more than a year ago, SOU has worked closely with neighbors to tell them what they planned and to hear concerns such as parking on the street, or to make sure the apartments visually connect with the residences in the neighborhood, she said. A neighborhood resident was also on the design committee. Cathy Lepley, who lives across the street from the project, was pleased the university worked closely with nearby homeowners. "I think it's been great," she said. "They have given us both the pros and cons of the project and have been very open with us from the beginning. It makes us feel like part of the project." In terms of construction disrupting the neighborhood or students, Stallman said they haven't heard of any major concerns, although, by law, construction can began at 7 a.m. on the weekdays. Nylen said she is not that bothered by the potential noise. She said she already has heard plenty of noise from the work on Siskiyou Boulevard last year, and the construction from the library expansion. "It can get loud, but it's all right, it's not a major problem," she said. "It's just a friendly reminder construction is going on and we know it will be done by next fall." 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