A new student housing facility is being built in State College, and the management company is advertising a move-in date of August.
Cliffside Apartments, operated by Associated Realty Property Management, began construction under Poole Anderson Construction in November.
Construction on the three-story, 12-unit apartment complex should be done in June, said property manager Kristen Holzwarth.
“The unique thing is its size,” Holzwarth said. “They’re much larger than a standard apartment.”
The complex at 723 S. Atherton St., offers apartments from $1,550 to $2,740 per month for two- and three-bedroom units.
So far, about a third of the units are rented, Holzwarth said. The two-bedroom “deluxe” units are unavailable.
“They’re getting a good response,” Holzwarth said.
Holzwarth said there is a maximum occupancy of four to six people per unit.
The apartments are furnished and include an open-floor plan with kitchen, living room and dining room, Holzwarth said.
Water, sewer and trash are included in the rent. Tenants are responsible for paying electricity, cable and Internet, Holzwarth said.
There are coin-operated laundry machines on each floor and one parking space per unit, Holzwarth said. All other tenants with vehicles must rent spaces at nearby parking lots or garages if needed.
“We don’t expect a lot of students to bring their cars,” Holzwarth said.
The nearest public parking would be the garage on West Beaver Avenue, said Carl Hess, borough community development and planning director.
Property owners Roy and Angela Walk submitted the plan for Cliffside Apartments to the borough about a year ago. Hess said the plan to build the facility was approved at the beginning of March.
“We’re seeing that convenience is one of the main reasons why there is preference for students to live downtown,” Hess said. “I’d say there is a trend of facilities moving closer to the university.”
The last student housing facility downtown, The Legacy, 478 E. Calder Way, was opened in the fall of 2013, Hess said.
“I’d say there is a need for housing downtown,” Hess said. “I would not be surprised if there are more facilities going up in the future. We don’t have any market analysis, but my observation is, if the private owners see a need to build here, then there must be.”
Hess said there recently have been a number of property owners who have suggested more student housing downtown.
The Metropolitan is a proposed new apartment complex that would include 120 units for both student and non-student housing, Hess said. That plan, at the former Arby’s location on South Atherton Street at West College Avenue, has not yet been submitted to the planning department.
Hess said that for that facility to be complete, three structures would have to be torn down. That project would be run by a partnership with local real estate executives Heidi Nicholas and Ara Kervandjian and architect John Martin called PennTrust, Hess said.
“There is not a lot of room to build,” Hess said. “What you’ll see is where there are new housing facilities, other buildings around it needed to be town down.”
There is another plan in the works at 254 E. Beaver Ave. — a 24-unit student-housing facility. Hess said the proposal has no name yet, but would be in the hands of the borough in the latter half of the year.
“Downtown could be the place where property owners are getting a good bang for their buck and residents find convenience,” Hess said.
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