Some Temple students remember receiving a letter in the summer of 2004 informing them that the apartments in the Strawbridge’s building on 11th and Filbert streets would not be ready in time.
We remember being placed wherever there was room throughout the dorms on campus. Some students got lucky and were put in the Kardon Building, others were stuck in dorm lounges with four or more people.
A mere two years later, students had another wrench thrown into their off-campus housing plans. Newly constructed by the New Jersey-based Torcon, Inc., The Edge at Avenue North is an apartment building located at 1600 N. Broad St. Leases were signed and students prepared to move in on Aug. 14.
If only it had been that easy.
Residents received a letter and a phone call in early August. Students unloaded their belongings and moved in on Aug. 23.
Students have said they were not given information pertaining to the date changes unless they pestered The Edge.
Some students called at least once a day in hopes of getting information. If someone is not going to meet a deadline,
he should be as transparent as possible. Otherwise it shows a great lack of respect to the people who are being inconvenienced.
Not only did The Edge delay the student move-in date, but it hardly conveyed any information about the delay.
People tend to be more forgiving if they’re not left in the dark about a situation. Out-of-state students, who were put in the biggest bind by the delay, stayed in the DoubleTree Hotel in Center City at the expense of The Edge.
Allison Garrett, a junior, is one of the students
who stayed at the DoubleTree Hotel.
“As far as they’ve told me, they’re either putting the August rent toward the next month or the last month,” said Garrett, who is still unsure about her rent situation.
Garrett lives in San Diego, Calif. She assumed the letter was sent there. She was living at University Village located
just east of Main Campus’ boundaries until her lease expired Aug. 10. She heard by word of mouth about The Edge’s delayed move-in date.
“I heard it through the grapevine, otherwise I wouldn’t have even known it was changing until the day I was leaving,” Garrett said.
When asked to comment, a spokesman for The Edge said, “At this time, we have no comment.”
This summer, there were flooding and an incredible heat wave – two things that can seriously delay construction work. However, students were planning their living arrangements around a certain date; so it was The Edge’s job to deliver a housing facility by that date.
Temple students have to trudge through blizzards to hand papers in on time. It’s a pain and it’s dangerous, but it’s what we have to do. A deadline isn’t just a day – it’s a promise. Temple students, unfortunately, have seen a lot of broken promises.
Temple doesn’t adhere to deadlines the way it makes its students adhere to deadlines. In 1998, it was proposed that the Tyler School of Art move to Main Campus by the 2000-2001 academic year. It’s still not here.
Now, the estimated project completion date is 2008, which is 10 years after its proposal. The Strawbridge’s building is no longer Temple-sponsored housing. Currently Alter Hall is under construction amid talks of renovating Speakman hall. Who knows when those plans will be completed?
Carolyn Steeves can be reached at csteeves@temple.edu.
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