Renovated apartments being received well

While University of Richmond students were on summer vacation, facilities staff renovated three blocks of the University Forest Apartments.

Renovated blocks 100, 300 and 400 feature an open-kitchen layout, new windows, sliding glass door, new appliances, new kitchen cabinets and countertop, new tile on the first floor and new carpet on the second floor, a half bath on the first floor, new bedroom furniture and new second-floor bathroom, according to the university housing website.

"There seems to be great satisfaction in the work that was done and the improvements made," said Susie Reid, director of operations and maintenance for facilities, "especially having a downstairs bathroom and a more open kitchen and dining area."

Senior Adam Sandilands said the features were efficient and aesthetically pleasing.

There is more room for registered events with the removal of the counter in the front room, Sandilands said.

"I can speak from my experience in the first couple of weeks that we have definitely been taking better care of our apartment than we would have been in a non-renovated apartment," Sandilands said. "We came into our apartment with it looking new, and we would like to keep it that way."

Senior Sarah Nuttycombe said she hoped students would stay motivated to take better care of the renovated spaces on campus. She is optimistic that the university will continue to make dorms and apartments better for everyone, she said.

The only thing Sandilands dislikes about the new apartments is the motion sensor connected to the oven and stovetop, he said.

"It turns off automatically after six minutes if you do not stand in front of it," Sandilands said. "I realize it makes sense for fire safety reasons, but it is not the best when you are trying to preheat the oven."

Nuttycombe said that she disliked the new lights in the living room because they felt like spotlights.

Students also complained about issues with the thermostat, Reid said.

"What we found was that all the thermostats needed to be recalibrated," Reid said. "The display showed 74 degrees, but in actuality, the temperature was much higher. After calibration, all was well."

Reid said another concern had been the vertical blinds that had been installed on the sliding doors, which had been difficult to operate at first.

"We invite, in fact encourage, students to let us know what they like and dislike about the newly renovated apartments," Reid said. "Their comments and suggestions will be weighed heavily in determining the scope of work for the next set of apartments to be renovated."

Contact reporter Lauren Shute at lauren.shute@richmond.edu