Circle University City Apartments requires residents to move out for renovations

On May 27, residents of Circle University City Apartments were informed through a building-wide email that they would have to move out of their apartments within a week’s time.

The email notified residents that they would have to be moved out of their apartment units by June 2.

Renovations of the buildings floors will take place throughout June and July. Officials are concerned with the prefabricated floor trusses. Circle University expects that residents will be able to move back into their units before the start of the 2015 fall semester.

Some students are finding the transition more difficult than others.

“It’s really hard for me, having a dog, they’re not going to be able to put me up in a hotel with a dog, so today I woke up at 8 a.m. and I went out to look for apartments,” said resident Joel Simmons. “It’s really, really stressful.”

Like many students, Simmons is also taking summer courses at UNC Charlotte and must deal with finding a new place to live while keeping up with their school work.

Many students feel that this is a huge inconvenience that Circle University has caused them and are displeased about having to move out of the building for a second time.

“I just feel like we’re having to suffer for their incompetence and they’re unprepared for the amount of students and accommodating for everyone,” said resident Charles Amtwi. “I had to live in a hotel before I moved in here and now I have to move right back out. It’s just a really big inconvenience.”

The complex when it was originally being constructed  back in 2014.

The complex when it was originally being constructed back in 2014. NT file photo.

Circle University is taking preventative measures after an incident that occurred in February when a party of 80 to 100 people was held in one of the apartments.

The floor could not sustain the weight, which caused damage to the floor of the apartment and ceiling damage to the unit below it. The damage was determined to be cosmetic only, and no residents were harmed during the incident.

“At that time and at this, there were never any life safety issues,” said Heather Tamol, who is with the PR team for Circle University.

Following the incident, Circle University performed a forensic engineering of the building, which revealed more issues with the apartments.

“We have been investigating for about the past month and we received the official report yesterday and we received a verbal report last week and began planning for the worst-case scenario,” said Tamol.

Circle University is assisting residents with the move-out process. Students who renewed their lease for the 2015-16 school year are being relocated to hotels, where they will stay until the renovations are complete. Students are being moved to one of two different hotels in the Charlotte area.

Students are also being provided with a $500 stipend to help with the moving process. Circle University is providing their residents with boxes and a place to store their belongings that they do not want to take with them or leave in their units.

Students have noticed other cosmetic damage in their units as well.

“There is actually a dip in our floor… after I heard about the floor collapsing, I took a look and it was a little bit different than the rest of the floor,” said Simmons.

Read more here: http://ninertimes.com/2015/05/circle-university-city-apartments-requires-residents-to-move-out-for-renovations/
Copyright 2024