Parents help their children move into the new FAU Innovation Village apartments on the Boca Raton campus. The new student housing, which along with the new stadium, has put FAU closer to becoming a more traditional college. (Jim Rassol, Sun Sentinel / August 21, 2011)
By Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel
9:50 p.m. EDT, August 21, 2011
Florida Atlantic University may officially lose its status as a commuter school this year.
A resort-style apartment complex called Innovation Village has just opened next to the university's new 30,000-seat stadium. It's become cool to live on campus, even for upper-classmen. The more than 1,200 beds at the new apartments filled up quickly.
Arielle Birgona, 23, of Jacksonville, lived in a Boynton Beach apartment last year but will be at Innovation Village for her senior year. She said she was attracted to its security features, such as resident card access for the elevators, and amenities, including a large pool, sand volleyball court and barbecue grills.
"I won't have to fight parking," she said. "I'll be closer and will get to meet new people and be more involved in campus."
It's part of FAU's efforts to transform the Boca Raton campus into one that's more traditional. Historically, the university has appealed mostly to commuter students, who came to campus for class and made FAU look like a ghost town on nights and weekends..
In the past few years, the university has added a fitness and recreation center, an indie movie house and a mall-style food court. In addition to the apartments, the Innovation Village project includes the stadium, which is set to open in October. Future phases will include another residence hall, retail and a parking garage.
"It is well known that one of the things that retains students on a campus is having a strong connection to the university," President Mary Jane Saunders said. "Part of that is living on campus and having activities outside the classroom."
She said students will have easier access to tutoring and resident assistants they can turn to if they start to slip in their school work.
FAU requires out-of-town freshmen students to live on campus. But many upper-classmen haven't been able to live there even if they wanted to. Before Innovation Village, the university had 2,446 beds, and all were occupied.
Students pay between $4,400 and $4,800 a semester to live in the new apartments, compared to about $2,800 a semester for the more traditional residence halls.
But the higher price hasn't dissuaded students; all 1,216 spots in Innovation Village are claimed. Right now the university put more than 80 students in a nearby hotel because housing director Jill Eckardt expects some no-shows.
The first official day of school was Saturday, with most students starting Monday.
The $121 million complex consists of a seven- and eight-story building, separated by a courtyard. There are a mix of two- and four-bedroom apartments, all with two bathrooms, fully equipped kitchens, cable TV and high-speed Internet. Each student has their own bedroom with a full-size bed.
Some units have their own washers and dryers, and there is a community laundry room for everyone else. But students won't have to waste much time waiting for their laundry to be done. The community facilities include computer technology that send students an email or text message when their clothes are ready.
Other amenities include a small fitness center, a computer room and a convenience store.
The complex was funded through a partnership with Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions, which built the apartments, and Capstone Development Corp., which will manage them. Balfour Beatty invested $3.4 million in tax-exempt bonds that finance the project.
"It's gorgeous," said Anita Garbett, 20, a junior at FAU. "It's just a nice, top-notch place to live. I showed my friends my room, and they all say, 'I want to move here.'"
stravis@tribune.com or 561-243-6637 or 954-425-1421
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