College Suites

It kind of takes you by surprise. You drive by the first time, do a double take and exhale something like “Wow, what is that?” Indeed, and with apologies to The Bard, it doth bestride Broad Street like a colossus. We’re speaking, of course, about the recently constructed four-story, H-shaped complex College Suites at Plattsburgh. At 150,000 square feet, the privately owned, funded, and managed student-housing facility is the largest by far to grace the college area since the last SUNY Plattsburgh residence hall went up in the 1970s.

After a few more passes, however, you begin to form a new perspective about the edifice. You notice the complex’s attractive, somewhat Tudor-styled façade is vaguely reminiscent of Macdonough Hall’s. And with its location virtually adjacent to that venerable dorm, it is not such a stretch to visualize the Suites seamlessly integrating into the State University environment.

Gazing upward at the hugeness of it all, the newness, the lush landscaping and plantings, you can only assume that compared to all the other unfortunates on and off campus, those 400 or so privileged residents of the College Suites are living la dolce vita!

Finally, the realization dawns that beyond the obvious impact on the college community, the College Suites at Plattsburgh promise some hugely positive benefits for several area entities. Arguably, this project has created more winners than a Cub Scout field day.

Students

First and foremost, the Suites exist for the students’ benefit. No doubt there’s a profit motive behind the project, but a primary goal is to provide an enhanced experience for the college student. And for students choosing the College Suites at Plattsburgh, it’s a little like commuting to class each day, then returning home to life at a resort!

John Ball, executive vice-president and COO of United Development, the project’s developer, was on site recently to oversee final construction in preparation to greet students in late August.

“We wanted to give them a clear housing option,” Ball said, surveying a spacious, attractively decorated model suite. “Back in the day, many of us boomers grew up sharing bedrooms with siblings, but that doesn’t happen so much any more. Privacy is an important issue with kids today and often, after a couple of years being doubled or tripled up in a dorm, upper-classmen are more than ready for a single room. That’s why all our bedrooms are private, single occupancy.”

He added, “This setup provides a healthier living environment as well.”

The Suites consist of about 100 four-bedroom suites and 10 two-bedroom units. All are completely furnished and there are two bathrooms in each suite. In each, an alcove with a double sink is separated from the toilet and shower area, affording more privacy.

The shared living/dining/kitchen area has brand-new furniture, a breakfast bar and plenty of cabinet space. If cooking is their thing, residents can avoid buying a meal ticket, experimenting on the shiny appliances—range, microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator.

Every suite is wired in myriad locations for cable and Internet, and there is Wi-Fi throughout the building.

Management offices, security, and common amenities are mostly located in the building’s center core. There’s a fitness room with a complete array of dumbbells, aerobic and weight machines—perfect for whittling away at the “freshman fifteen”.

The game room sports a pool table, air hockey table, darts and other diversions from the rigors of study. A lounge-with-café run by Kay’s Kitchen (a popular local breakfast/lunch nook) provides morning fare and some basic essentials.

The only possible downside to all the fun to be had is whether it could adversely affect one’s GPA….luckily, there’s no evidence of it so far.

Ball said United Development is proud of the safety and security measures included in the project. “There is a sprinkler head in virtually every room,” he said. “All entrance doors are locked at all times. Students use a card swipe system to enter. After 5 P.M., only the center doors are accessible, so all the entries can be monitored by security.”

There are numerous security cameras throughout, a full-time building manager, an assistant manager living in the complex and several student managers. Ball said, “They do hall walks at night and each suite has an intercom directly to security. Parents especially are grateful for the precautions.”

The entire package, including all utilities, costs $7200 per school year. SUNY Plattsburgh, by comparison, charges $5350 for a four-bedroom suite (That’s before the cost of a meal ticket, usually required of a dorm dweller).

United Development

United Development is the real estate component of The United Group, a Troy, NY-based corporation since 1972. Over the years the company has developed large projects like multi-family, senior housing, and commercial buildings. But as Ball explained, “For the past several years, and in this economy, for us the student housing market has exploded.”

The company’s flagship projects, Empire Commons (1200 beds) and University Heights (426 beds), located in Albany’s university districts, were completed in 2002 and 2003. Ball said, “They’ve been extremely successful.”

So successful that today United Development has eleven student-housing projects with 8000 beds in various stages of completion. Like Plattsburgh, most are located near SUNY campuses (for example, Suites at Cortland, Oswego, Binghamton and Brockport are under construction).

“We’ve found that the average State University student fits the economic profile we are looking for,” Ball said. “Plattsburgh is a perfect fit for us. There was land in close proximity to the campus. The college’s enrollment is way up and quality housing is badly needed. The city is great to work with and we can make an immediate positive impact on the local economy. Also, we’ve found the cost of construction and utilities are moderate here.”

The Plattsburgh Community

When Mayor Donald Kasprzak thinks about the College Suites these days, he can’t stop smiling. What’s not to like if you’re the mayor, knowing a property that had generated $0 in taxes for many years will soon be contributing hundreds of thousands yearly into the city’s and school district’s coffers? That idea probably took some of the sting out of watching his high school alma mater, St. John’s Academy, succumb to the wrecking ball to make way for the project.

Beyond the obvious tax bonanza, “It’s a great project,” Kasprzak noted recently. “Not only is it beautiful, but it also raises the standard for off-campus housing. It should encourage some owners of the poorer college apartments to spruce up their properties.”

He added hopefully, “The Broad Street location will encourage more students walking downtown to avoid the city center neighborhoods where we’ve had so many complaints.”

A major local contributor—and beneficiary—to the Suites is KeyBank, which provided the $16 million construction loan. “When our original funding hit a snag,” Ball said, “KeyBank stepped up. This project could have been risky for them, but they worked with us and were terrific.”

But KeyBank obviously did its due diligence and as Vince Maine, the bank’s Northeast Region Manager stated, “We determined it was a great project. There clearly was a need; it was a responsible undertaking based also on United’s past success.”

Maine wanted to stress that KeyBank saw in its investment an opportunity for community development. “We wanted to demonstrate to Plattsburgh that we are lending even in these difficult times. We want to be part of the city’s success.”

Other beneficiaries of the $20 million plus project are the construction firms and workers who put it all together. Luck Brothers was the main contractor. About them, Ball said, “We were extremely happy with their work. We got started late. Luck Brothers put themselves on the line for us, and they did an outstanding job. It was the best experience I’ve had with a construction company in many years.” High praise indeed from one who works with many large firms!

SUNY Plattsburgh

Does SUNY Plattsburgh view the College Suites as its competition for the student-housing market? Ball is quick to assert that the two entities enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship. The college welcomes the Suites as a positive, quality housing option. He explained that colleges today tend to prefer spending their resources on instructional buildings; the privately funded College Suites provides Plattsburgh State some relief from the housing crunch and allows them that luxury.

And what admissions counselor wouldn’t love to pitch the College Suites to prospective older students, transfers, or graduate students looking for good off campus housing? “We are a recruiting gem for SUNY,” Ball enthused.

He described the lengths College Suites go to foster good college relations: “We meet with college officials frequently for input. Our rules are similar to their dorm requirements. We publish a newsletter to keep our residents abreast of college activities. We want to provide a smooth transition for students when juniors and seniors move from their college dorms to our suites.”

The city, the college, and its students are fortunate to have the College Suites at Plattsburgh. We all benefit from them. United and KeyBank’s investments in them suggest a trust in our area and a faith that the future of College Suites is, to borrow a SUNY Plattsburgh motto, “bright with promise”.