Residents of The Edge have become so vocally dissatisfied
with conditions in the new apartment complex that Temple Student Government is attempting to find a solution to students’ woes.
The TSG Office of University Resources is asking The Edge residents to fill out surveys online in order to assess the level of the grievance and what the complaints are about.
“We’re trying to pinpoint the exact issues and see which ones we can tackle from the administrative standpoint of the TSG,” Richard Street Jr., University Resources Chair said. “The biggest issue is that there are so many problems, so we’re trying to figure out what’s realistic to actually work on.”
Many residents have complained about the building not being finished, with unpainted walls and exposed wiring and pipes commonplace sights. There have also been many complaints about the condition of the rooms upon move-in and the work that was required to clean them up.
Residents were told they could move in Aug. 14, but the date was pushed back to Aug. 23 to allow for construction completion. They were reimbursed for the delayed move-in date.
“What irritated me most was that I was led to expect that it would at least be finished by the time we moved in here,” said Julietta Bekker, a junior Spanish major. “We spent a couple hours cleaning and scrubbing the room after we moved in.”
“The major complaint I’ve heard is the building not being completed, different things not functioning, the size of the rooms – people were expecting a little more space,” Street said.
Bekker also said the size of suites were changed a week before she had to finalize her lease. She said the four-person suite she had originally signed up for was turned into a six-person
suite with the same size common space.
Officials at The Edge and Tower Investments, the complex’s developer, have maintained that features such as bare concrete walls and exposed piping are a deliberate element of the building’s “industrial chic.”
“The architects have won several awards for the same architectural look in their other properties,” said Dixon, asset manager for Tower Investments. “This look is the wave of the future.”
But some rooms in The Edge are barer than others. Sean Spencer, a junior recording industry major, inhabits a space with completely unpainted walls and a concrete pillar obstructing the right corner of his room.
“I’d be a lot happier if I were paying less,” he said. “This isn’t worth $500 [a month].”
Other residents said they think administrators are putting up a smokescreen by saying the building was intentionally designed to look industrial.
“I don’t like how they’re trying to play off how it’s the industrial look. I just think it’s unfinished,”said Brooke Holdsworth, a junior accounting major.
In a statement to “The Temple News”, College Park Communities, which manages The Edge, said “our on-site management is very aware of the situation and we have made the residents’ concerns known to Tower Investments. We have no control over the design, construction or the state of the building and these issues need to be addressed directly to Tower Investments.”
Dixon faulted Torcon, Inc., the company contracted to build The Edge, for not completing the building on time, saying that the company “mismanaged the project.” Torcon did not respond to calls asking for a comment.
But Dixon also said that the building is essentially
completed and “all the issues have been addressed.”
Andrew Thompson can be reached at andrew.thompson@temple.edu.
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