You probably know from discussions with your residence life staff that Carnegie Mellon's lease at Shady Oak expires in June 2005. We are in the process of negotiating a new, multi-year lease for Shady Oak from Motheral, Inc. the building owner. As part of those negotiations, the owner has proposed to expand the building occupancy from 68 to 79 by changing several of the apartments into suites and adding back the ground floor apartment formerly occupied by the building superintendent. As part of increasing the building occupancy, the owner has agreed to finish the ground level to provide the building with common programming, recreation, study and fitness space in addition to the laundry.
We have previously sent floor plans to the building for your review with the hall staff, and the general feedback is that the changes are of interest to current residents. To review, the changes to a typical floor would be:
Apt 1, the living room is turned into a third bedroom with a door. (Apt 1
becomes a 3-person, 3-bedroom suite with bath/kitchen.)
Apt 2, the entry door is moved in the hallway to be opposite the kitchen, and
the living room is removed from the apartment and added next door to Apt 4.
(Apt 2 becomes a 3-person, 2-bedroom suite with bath/kitchen.)
Apt 3, the living room is converted into a bedroom, and a third bedroom is
added by taking a room from Apt 5. (Apt 3 becomes a 3-person, 3-bedroom suite
with bath/kitchen.)
Apt 4, a second bedroom is added to this apartment from Apt 2. (Apt 4 becomes
a 3-person, 2-bedroom apartment with bath/kitchen and living room.)
Apt 5, one current bedroom is given to Apt 3 and the living room is divided
into a smaller living room and a second bedroom. (Apt 5 becomes a 3-person,
2-bedroom apartment with bath/kitchen and living room.)
Apt 6, doesn't change (stays 2-person efficiency with bath/kitchen).
Apt 7 doesn't exist
Apt 8, doesn't change (stays 2-person efficiency with bath/kitchen).
From your room draw materials you will see that the new Shady Oak apartment rates - per person/per year - were announced as the following, and we are adding new rates for the new suite configurations:
Efficiency Apartment for 2 occupants $5,890
2 Bedroom Suite for 3 occupants $5,990
2 Bedroom Apartment for 3 occupants $6,550
3 Bedroom Suite for 3 occupants $6,900
We have agreed to move forward with these changes as part of renewing our lease. Because we were not able to conclude our negotiations before the start of room draw, we want to provide maximum flexibility for current residents as you make your housing plans for next year:
1) If you did NOT meet the room reservation fee deadline of February 24 but are now interested in living in Shady Oak for next year, please email Adria Greene, asgreene@andrew.cmu.edu by March 14, 2005.
2) If you are no longer interested in housing for next year but paid a reservation fee -- As long as you do not submit a housing license agreement for next year, you will not be charged the reservation fee.
3) If you paid a room reservation fee by the 2/24 deadline but DIDN'T file a RETENTION FORM and would now like to do that, please email Adria Greene and bring your retention form to Building Retention Day on March 16, 2005 at the West Wing TV Room.
4) If you have paid a room reservation fee by the 2/24 deadline and DID FILE a RETENTION FORM butwould now like that to be cancelled, please email Adria Greene by March 14.
5) If you have paid a room reservation fee by the 2/24 deadline and would like to select a DIFFERENT apartment to live in Shady Oak for next year, please attend BUILDING RETENTION DAY on Wednesday, March 16, 2005. The details for Building Retention Day are in your Room Draw Brochure on page 7.
6) If you have paid a room reservation fee by the 2/24 deadline and DO NOT
want to retain your
current apartment because it is going to be reconfigured, you have two choices:
- go to Building Retention Day as described in #5 above to select another Shady
Oak space, or
- go to SELECTION FOR DISPLACED STUDENTS on Thursday, March 17, 2005. The details
for Displaced Student Selection are in your room Draw Brochure on page 8. You
will be given displaced status and allowed to pick any other available Oakland
Community apartment space of the same type as what you currently have.
In summary, you can keep your current plans, change your current plans, move around within Shady Oak to available spaces, move elsewhere within the Oakland community to a similar available space, or participate in any other part of room draw as normally allowed and described in the Room Draw Brochure. MOST IMPORTANTLY, if you are changing your plans or want to enter the process late, you MUST email Adria Greene and follow the instructions above and/or those she gives you directly.
You can also feel free to email me directly or Ms. Greene if you have any questions or would like to discuss scenarios.
Thank you. We think the new suite options in Shady Oak will be an exciting and desirable addition to our housing system, as will the new common area spaces to be built on the ground floor level.
Regards,
Tim Michael
Director of Housing and Dining Services
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