Spring Break
Apartment hunting in Macomb
Stephen Geinosky
Issue date: 4/16/07 Section: News
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Campus Manor
Owned by Aspen Square Management, the same company that owns Campus Pointe, Campus Manor is a company that offers several amenities at no extra cost.
While technically the company does not allow tenants to sublease, tenants are allowed to sign nine-and-a-half-month to 13-month leases. All that is required is that tenants find a new tenant to take their places.
"We screen everyone through the office," said Katie Greuel, property manager. "Once we have everyone approved, we can do a change of parties."
One of the cheaper apartment complexes, Campus Manor rents out one-bedroom apartments for around $620 per month, regardless of whether there are one or two tenants living there, and two-bedroom apartments are leased for up to $410 per person.
Just like other complexes, Campus Manor has its complaints about parking.
"I live across the street from the office by Aspen Court, and there usually isn't enough parking over here," said Dan Malkowski, senior law enforcement and justice administration major. "In the winter they never plowed the parking lots."
Others find the parking rules more aggravating than any other issue.
"They charge for visitor parking," said junior psychology major John Lurquin. "It's not bad, it's just annoying."
However, Campus Manor does try to remedy the complaints about parking. In the space allotted to it, the company tries to have two spots for each apartment. Then, they take the leftover spaces and turn them into visitor parking, with 20 total spots for visitors this year.
According to Greuel, the limit on the number of guests allowed in an apartment at a time is subject to Macomb's ordinances.
Yet what Campus Manor lacks in parking, it tries to make up for by including cable, Internet and heat for most of its apartments.
"They say (the Internet is) high-speed, but it's not," Lurquin said. "It's about half the speed of the university."
The reason for only including heat on around half of the apartments is complexes were built at different times and use different types of energy.
"The first phase was built with electric heat and the second phase was built with gas for water," Greuel said. "The third was built with central boilers, so heat and water is included."
Furniture is included for residents who request it, and new furniture is possible for an additional $30. Yet even with this feature, some apartments appear to fall by the wayside.
"They had a raggedy couch, plastic tables and a chair," said Lurquin of the furniture in his apartment when he moved in. After deciding to purchase new furniture, Lurquin said Campus Manor "charged us a $10 storage fee for holding the previous furniture."
Many of the two-bedroom apartments have laundry rooms in them, while a main laundry center with six washers and six dryers is available for the Campus Manor community.
The company also offers a fitness center, which includes a treadmill, elliptical machine and a universal machine and a business center, with Dell computers and a printer, scanner and copier - all of which are available for free to tenants.
All residents can call an emergency number 24 hours a day if there are any maintenance problems.
Campus Pointe
The other complex owned by Aspen Square Management, Campus Pointe is just off Western Illinois University's campus near the Leslie F. Malpass Library.
Even though leases are only offered at 12-month intervals, it is still possible for tenants to leave early as long as they can find replacements. Although there is no flat fee, rent costs around $400 per person per month.
Parking is always a struggle between tenants and property managers.
"They definitely could use more parking," said Jeff Addis, senior elementary education major. "There are days when the lots are completely filled up, and they really do not have any guest parking."
However, Campus Pointe said it recognizes the complaint and is currently attempting to fix the problem by adding another parking lot.
"We will section half or a fourth of a grassy area out for parking and a sand volleyball court," said Jennifer Miles, property manager. "We're just trying to get approval from the city."
When it comes to guest parking, visitors are required to purchase a parking pass for $2 a night. Because the property is so close to campus, the main concern of the company is having parking for its tenants, according to Miles.
Standing out from other properties, Campus Pointe allows up to two pets in each apartment. The only restrictions on the pets are that two dogs and some specific breeds are not allowed.
While Campus Manor has high-speed Internet and cable included in most of its apartments, Campus Pointe includes these in all. Also, water, sewer, garbage and parking are all included with all two- and three-bedroom apartments and each townhouse. However, while Campus Manor includes heat for some of its apartments, Campus Pointe tenants have to pay for electricity if they rent an apartment with more than one bedroom.
Furniture is not included in any of the apartments.
Some apartments include a washer/dryer connection. Other tenants must use one of the two laundry facilities, which use coin-operated machines. A 24-hour emergency phone number is available for tenants who have any maintenance problems.
Just like Campus Manor, Campus Pointe has a fitness center, business center and a 12-foot-deep swimming pool. A bonus for Campus Pointe residents is free wireless Internet at the pool for tenants who want to work on homework while relaxing.
"It's a place you can go if your roommate has people over and you're looking for a quiet place to study," Miles said.
Cookouts take place sporadically during the summer months for the tenants and one occurs in the fall that's open to the public.
"I've enjoyed living here," Addis said. "This is my second year here, and I haven't had any really negative experiences."
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