[Vision2020] UI to close residences

[Donovan Arnold]

Penny,
   
  I use to be the student Representative for Family Housing, which included those apartments. The mold in the apartments was the number one complaint made by these students for those that had it. 
   
  The reason why they have mold problems was for four reasons;
   
  1) The buildings were built on top of wellsprings. So the moisture of the wells was going up into the buildings.
   
  2) The buildings have poor ventilation. The kitchen and bathroom ventilation systems did not exit the building but instead went to an open space in the attic of the town house buildings.
   
  3) Shotty building construction
   
  4) Resident lifestyles. 
   
  I am not an architect, but as I understand it, brick buildings cannot be built there because the ground is too soft. I think the mistake was building the  buildings on wellsprings in the first place. One the students apartments I examined had mold everywhere in the kitchen, destroying the place, the kitchen floor had a giant bulge in it warping and pushing up the tiling, the reason why is because a wellspring was directly under the floor. 
   
  I asked this student why her family had not reported this problem, she said she worried the University would charge her for the damage to the building. Thankfully, we were able to get her family out of that apartment and it shut down. 
   
  Now is the time to shut down those buildings, population is down and the buildings, IMHO are unsafe. "Black mold" is known to cause respiratory problems in children, especially babies, and allergy problems to others, not to mention damage to the building and property in it. 
   
  Best,
   
  Donovan J Arnold
   
  
Pennsylvania Place <penn_place_boise at yahoo.com> wrote:
  I like how the press release neglects to mention that the reason the UI is closing these apartments is not because of the kindness of their hearts in wanting to update these residences, but because the residents therein are all suffering from the horrible MOLD INFESTATION that the UI has allowed to fester in these poorly made cheap apartments for years.

The best way to rehabilitate these units would be to tear them down and start over, using a design that includes more than two windows for a two-story townhouse. The UI should look at the beautiful new BRICK apartments at BSU and Gonzaga for inspiration. 

Penny

Five University Apartments to Close

Dec. 8, 2006

MOSCOW, Idaho – University of Idaho Residences will close five buildings in the South Hill apartment community to assess the state of the buildings. Residents currently living in the designated buildings have until June 25, 2007, to move to alternative apartments in the South Hill and South Hill Vista apartment communities or find alternate housing.

“Our residents always are our first concern,” said Michael Griffel, director of University Residences. “We want the apartments we offer to be high quality and desirable. It is our goal to make our strongest buildings available to our students, and to take off-line those that are older and not in strong condition.” 

University Residences will be providing a moving van and driver to help residents move, as well as allowing for five moving days instead of the normal three-day moving period. The six-month timeframe for the move was planned to provide residents time to tour other apartments and plan their move. There are 17 occupied apartments in the five buildings scheduled to close on June 30, 2007. 

The apartments that will be closed are: 1006 Deakin St.; 1010 Deakin St.; 464 Taylor Ave.; 518 Taylor Ave.; and 425 Sweet Ave.

University Residences met with affected residents on Thursday, Dec. 7 to provide details and answer questions.

Contact: Leah Andrews, University Residences, (208) 885-7883, leah at uidaho.edu
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