Vantage, a new off-campus housing development on 12th Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue, will open in Fall 2019.
The apartment building will have 984 beds, luxury amenities like a 24-hour fitness center, an outdoor terrace, coffee bar and space for community use. The apartments will come fully furnished, and the facility will also reserve space for retail vendors.
The complex will offer studio, two, three or four bedroom apartments, starting at $899 per month. The complex began leasing in October.
Kevin Trapper, the senior vice president and development director for The Goldenberg Group, which owns Vantage and the adjacent housing complex The View at Montgomery, said the developers built the second complex to combat a lack of on-campus housing provided by Temple University.
“We see the growth in the university year over year, especially as it transitions from what was a commuter campus to what has become an urban university,” he said. “We just saw the continued need for good, quality housing with great amenities.”
On-campus housing provided 5,045 beds for 29,732 undergraduate students, according to the 2017-18 Temple University Fact Book and University Housing and Residential Life documents. Freshmen accounted for 6,551 of those students.
Trapper said Vantage is comparable to residence hall prices like Morgan Hall, where beds range from about $5,600 to $7,000 per semester.
Bianca Anastasio, a freshman communication studies major, went to an open house for Vantage on Thursday. She and her future roommates — Jenna Mermelstein, a freshman psychology major, and Emily Young, a freshman Spanish major — currently live in 1300 Residence Hall. They said they are considering living at Vantage because of the price.
Emma Bunker, a sophomore marketing major, currently lives at The View. She will not pursue a lease at The View or Vantage, she said, because she believes her rent is expensive.
“It’s easy to live here when it comes with furniture, and it’s a good transition from dorms to an apartment,” she said. “The cost is a big factor for me. It’s a little too high because I’m paying for it fully furnished.”
Tom Rice, a general manager for Asset Campus Housing, which manages Vantage and The View, said security measures at Vantage will be the same as The View — 24-hour desk monitoring, roaming security patrol and key-fob door locks.
The Temple News reported in September that a false active shooter incident at The View revealed security staff did not properly follow its procedure.
“We don’t want it to feel like a prison,” Trapper added. “At the same time, our residents are very important.”
Community organizations in North Philadelphia, like the Yorktown Community Development Corporation, Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School and Bright Hope Baptist Church lobbied The Goldenberg Group for space in Vantage. Trapper said part of the ground floor is reserved for community use, but specifics are yet to be determined.
“Our approach is, we don’t want to assume what the community needs,” he said. “We’re still working on formulating that plan.”
The space could be used for daycare services or resources for senior citizens, but the group is letting the community make the decision, Trapper added.
The Yorktown CDC could not be reached for comment.
Trapper said The Goldenberg Group tries to incorporate community outreach into its projects, like a recent book drive and job readiness workshop for community residents.
Anastasio said living in an apartment complex that is involved with the community is important to her.
“It’s definitely a bonus,” she said. “I think that’s great.”
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