Columbus Ave Student Housing | 10 Burke St | Northeastern University

sm89 said:
?? When I went to NU I moved off campus because I could save thousands. I went from a shared room in an older building ($950 per month) to my own room in an apartment with friends in Mission Hill for $500 per month. Students are absolutely looking at much how much their education is costing them and making adjustments where possible.
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Yeah, their statement seemed extremely out of touch with the problems facing college students these days.
 
Most of the nicest dorms go to those who aren't paying for it, either by scholarship or their parents. The lower tier and therefore lower cost ones, or even/mostly off campus apartments, are filled with those who are paying with loans. They're going to college... They have some control over spending and understand how loans work.
 
For what you're getting for the price, dorm rates are a huge ripoff compared to even high Boston rents. Luckily most (or at least a substantial portion) are paid by parents that are all-too-happy-to so I guess it doesn't really matter. If you are paying your own way, getting reasonably affordable housing is essential.
 
Universities should have to pay real estate taxes on dorms.
 
BarbaricManchurian said:
For what you're getting for the price, dorm rates are a huge ripoff compared to even high Boston rents.
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Yeah, this is why I have such a hard time understanding why colleges don't build more dorms. On a $/sf basis, tenants of new construction dorms frequently pay prices at or above those of new construction "luxury" apartments. Yes, dorm rents also include utilities, but the marginal cost of that is nothing when they're located on a campus that the college is already running (e.g., many campuses have their own established power grids, telecommunications networks, central heating and cooling infrastructure, etc.). Plus colleges don't have to pay property tax on their dorms as private developers do, and colleges have a much easier path to approval for their buildings (especially when projects are on-campus).

But all the time you hear colleges saying that they can't afford to build dorms. At the prices they're charging tenants, you'd think that colleges would at least be able to break even on dorm construction, if not turn a profit.
 
JumboBuc said:
and colleges have a much easier path to approval for their buildings (especially when projects are on-campus).
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Welcome to Boston! You must have just moved here from Omaha. Northeastern has had a rough time getting dorms approved. East Village was delayed 2 years while NIMBY's argued to preserve the dumpy rear end of the YMCA.
 
TomOfBoston said:
Welcome to Boston! You must have just moved here from Omaha. Northeastern has had a rough time getting dorms approved. East Village was delayed 2 years while NIMBY's argued to preserve the dumpy rear end of the YMCA.
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You think two years is a long delay for major project approval? Okay, Harrisburg...

Whatever approval difficulties colleges may have, they're far less significant than those faced by private developers of for-profit projects. I stand by my comment 100%.
 
JumboBuc said:
Yeah, this is why I have such a hard time understanding why colleges don't build more dorms. On a $/sf basis, tenants of new construction dorms frequently pay prices at or above those of new construction "luxury" apartments. Yes, dorm rents also include utilities, but the marginal cost of that is nothing when they're located on a campus that the college is already running (e.g., many campuses have their own established power grids, telecommunications networks, central heating and cooling infrastructure, etc.). Plus colleges don't have to pay property tax on their dorms as private developers do, and colleges have a much easier path to approval for their buildings (especially when projects are on-campus).

But all the time you hear colleges saying that they can't afford to build dorms. At the prices they're charging tenants, you'd think that colleges would at least be able to break even on dorm construction, if not turn a profit.
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I lived in Loftman Hall on Hemenway St. 2 double rooms, 1 single room. The total rent that one 3 bedroom unit brought in was around $5,000/month. They charge much more for the new buildings and pay no taxes. I also don't see how they could ever lose money on dorms.
 
JumboBuc said:
Yeah, this is why I have such a hard time understanding why colleges don't build more dorms. On a $/sf basis, tenants of new construction dorms frequently pay prices at or above those of new construction "luxury" apartments. Yes, dorm rents also include utilities, but the marginal cost of that is nothing when they're located on a campus that the college is already running (e.g., many campuses have their own established power grids, telecommunications networks, central heating and cooling infrastructure, etc.). Plus colleges don't have to pay property tax on their dorms as private developers do, and colleges have a much easier path to approval for their buildings (especially when projects are on-campus).

But all the time you hear colleges saying that they can't afford to build dorms. At the prices they're charging tenants, you'd think that colleges would at least be able to break even on dorm construction, if not turn a profit.
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TomOfBoston said:
Welcome to Boston! You must have just moved here from Omaha. Northeastern has had a rough time getting dorms approved. East Village was delayed 2 years while NIMBY's argued to preserve the dumpy rear end of the YMCA.
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First to TomOfBoston's point: the planning and approval process for East Village and 10 Burke Street was years-long and required many, many more meetings with public groups than your typical private residential development would've included. And though the diversity considerations for private development teams was implemented citywide somewhat recently, universities have had to adhere to more difficult-to-accomplish diversity and inclusion targets in the development of their new residence halls for decades. I'm not saying they're bad targets--they're equitable and important--but they can adversely delay the delivery date(s) for new development.

RE universities paying real estate taxes on residence halls:

Unless NU has exercised their option to purchase the East Village Residence Hall from Lincoln Property Co., I'm pretty sure that is still a private property 'leased' to the university and, therefore, part of the tax rolls. The American Campus Communities arrangement at 10 Burke Street is similar: a private, for-profit developer is leasing their property and, therefore, paying real estate taxes to the city once this is completed.

Unless they're a non-profit, Scape's $1 billion of residence halls for grad students will also add to the property tax rolls for the City of Boston.
 
JumboBuc said:
You think two years is a long delay for major project approval? Okay, Harrisburg...

Whatever approval difficulties colleges may have, they're far less significant than those faced by private developers of for-profit projects. I stand by my comment 100%.
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The 2 year delay I mention is after the vast majority of planning and negotiations had been completed. NIMBY after NIMBY would bring up bizarre reasons to delay the project. One of them was posting on AB. Demolishing the ugly rear end of the YMCA would be a tragic loss for Boston! The shadows! Even though the shadows would fall mostly on campus or on pavement. etc etc.

BTW, born and raised in Boston until career opportunities brought me to Harrisburg.
 
BarbaricManchurian said:
For what you're getting for the price, dorm rates are a huge ripoff compared to even high Boston rents. Luckily most (or at least a substantial portion) are paid by parents that are all-too-happy-to so I guess it doesn't really matter. If you are paying your own way, getting reasonably affordable housing is essential.
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It depends. On the surface, it does look substantially higher than Boston's rent. However, for many students, off-campus renting presents it's own share of problems, specifically, the required 1 year lease, especially if you don't plan to stay in Boston year round meaning if you can't find someone to sublet your place, you're forking over money for a place you're not even staying at for months. This doubly impact Northeastern students, many of which end up co-oping 6 months out of state.
 
DominusNovus said:
Now that I think about it, though, the University really should charge more for the view. It's not like the students are usually thinking about how much their on-campus residence is costing them, nor do they really see it, since its all bundled up in their student loans.
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LOL, Hi Betsy! :D
 
Northeastern's LighView housing and similar developments at other colleges go against the "egalitarian" ideal of college education, per The Boston Globe:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2...-inequality/oGSCZ0q4nMkgu5nNMRs5tK/story.html
It contributes to income inequality and that's a no-no. The author must be a BU alumnus because the article makes no mention of BU's luxurious StuVi I and II residences built several years ago.
 
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Been awhile since we got a photo in here
 
while were at it then...

I like it better from this angle (from Melnea Cass), the red on the taller part looks pretty nice.
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Will this thing be cladded for the 2021 school year?

Am i being too sarcastic?
 
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