Graduate and professional students may soon have a new, 71-year-old housing option on Duke University Road.
Capstone Companies, a student housing firm based in Birmingham, Ala., finalized its acquistion of University Apartments from University Associates, a Winston-Salem based company, May 29.
"We are a student housing company and because of the proximity to Duke and because of the number of students in the area... we do intend to reach out to the school and see what its graduate and professional student housing needs are," said Rick Hansen, Capstone's senior vice president for acquisitions and renovations.
Some neighbors are concerned the new owners will recruit students to replace current working class tenants, said Anne Thornhill, president of the Burch Area Neighborhood Association. Thornhill's association represents the neighborhood that borders the apartments, which are located at the intersection of Duke University Road and Underwood Avenue. Thornhill said the neighborhood considers Duke students part of its community as they compose 30 to 35 percent of the neighborhood, but she said she does not want the University Apartments to cater exclusively to student residents.
"One of the wonderful things about our neighborhood is the Duke students-undergraduate and graduate, although mostly graduate," Thornhill said. "These are people who bring neighborliness to our community, but... what makes the community feel so good is that we're all here together, and I think a sequestered set of apartments that feels more like an off-campus dormitory would not be the same experience. They would not be integrated into our community."
Hansen said Capstone is not seeking to remake the University Apartments into undergraduate student housing. Rather, he said the company might try to attract graduate and professional students whose needs "are not even close to being met."
"Just by virtue of the fact that Duke requires freshmen and sophomores to live on campus we feel like it will be an older student [who is drawn to University Apartments]," he said. "We feel that this is not going to be student housing... and create a big party-central zone, that is not going to happen."
Capstone's Web site for the apartments, UniversityApartmentsDurham.com, advertises the properties as "perfect for the serious student" and "ideal for graduate and professional students and faculty and staff of Duke University."
Phail Wynn, vice president for Durham and regional affairs, said he expects Capstone to be careful when screening applicants and not to recruit disruptive residents because "in trying to create the potential setting that they are trying to create, they certainly could not afford to have loud parties or ongoing disruptions." He added that he would not expect University Apartments to become a destination for graduate and professional students for three to four years.
Capstone also plans to make infrastuctural changes to the apartments that will be both aesthetic and utilitarian. In addition to making heating and cooling more efficient inside the buildings, he said the company plans to build a pool, pool deck and fire pit as well as turn one unit into a lifestyle center which he hopes will serve as "a living room for the community."
Residents like Dr. Peter Nicholls, professor of biological psychiatry and a resident of the apartments for four years, are "unhappy" with Capstone's plans for rennovations. Rates for current residents will increase by at least $40 and new tenant rates will increase from $565 to $650 and $665 to $820 to cover renovation costs, the Independent Weekly reported. Nicholls said he is not only displeased by the rate increase, he is concerned he will have to temporarily move out of his apartment for renovations to take place, though he does not know when or for how long.
"I'm happy with it now, and it was hard for me to find an apartment I was happy with, and I don't want that to change, but it looks like it might," Nicholls said
The University is already familiar with Capstone's work. Capstone has developed student housing in connection with the campuses of Clemson University and the University of Maryland, in addition to Duke.
Wynn said the University has worked with Capstone on some of its renovations and development projects downtown when Duke remodeled some of the 530,000 sq.-ft. of space it leases there. Considering previous partnerships with Capstone, Wynn said he is confident that Capstone will continue to do "quality work."
Thornhill, however, said her neighborhood association has a few concerns about what renovations will do to the historical nature of the apartments built in 1938.
The Burch Area Neighborhood Association is currently forming an application for national historical designation, which could potentially include University Apartments. As of June 9, Thornhill had not received a response from Capstone regarding her request to discuss the area and its application for historical designation with the company.
"[The sale of University Apartments] has really moved-in a public way-very quicly," Thornhill said. "So we would love to work with Capstone sooner rather than later, particularly to inform them of the historic designation because if that affects them that could be a huge economic incentive for them to make those renovations in a historic way."
Hansen said Capstone does not intend to compromise the historic value of the apartments with its renovations. He added that renovations are not ready to begin, but when they are, they will be part of a staggered process to avoid displacing all the building's tenants for 90 to 120 days.
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