My solution to the housing crunch

[CajunRebel]

They're going to be huge.

Look at University House, the big yellow apartment complex across from Cajun Field. That's where I live. You have to put in an application to live there practically a year in advance. For around $400 a month, you get everything that you'd get at Legacy Park. Furthermore, the apartments are twice as big, carpeted, fully furnished (with brand new furniture coming next leasing period). Everything is included, water, high speed internet, cable, lights, sewage, theres a full size washer/dryer in each apartment, full size fridge you name it. Plus, they have things that Legacy Park wished it had. Carpet in every room including the halls and living room, rooms that are twice as big, full size beds.

Here's where UL messed up. Legacy Park is about what, $200 dollars a month more and you get less! The only thing Legacy has on UH is the proximity to campus, and private balconies (ours are more like porches going from the breezeway to our front door.

eCampusEdge is going to be even nicer, bigger rooms, more amenities, a shuttle from the complex to the campus, not Cajun Field (which is something I wish we had!) and their rent is going to only be slightly higher than ours, I think $439 a month, still cheaper than Legacy.

I agree with the fellow up there. Redo the neighborhoods around campus. While there at it, maybe they can add another parking tower. Like Tim Landry said, "UL was built with the assumption that the automobile would never catch on. There are approximately 12 parking spots for 15,000 (now more like 20,000) students and faculty." Parking and housing are two of UL's downfalls.

I would like to see UL do something that resembles what has been done at river ranch with those large 5 story apartment/condos. You can really pack em in that way. Put them side by side and 5 stories high, then build a parking garage in the middle hidden from view. We can't build out anymore. We need to start building up. By tearing down Cajun Village and building up you can easily triple the number of apartments and triple the number of parking spaces.

Look at how much room is taken up by legacy park and Cajun Village
http://www.louisiana.edu/AboutUs/CampusMap.pdf

[RaginFan2]

I would like to see UL do something that resembles what has been done at river ranch with those large 5 story apartment/condos. You can really pack em in that way. Put them side by side and 5 stories high, then build a parking garage in the middle hidden from view. We can't build out anymore. We need to start building up. By tearing down Cajun Village and building up you can easily triple the number of apartments and triple the number of parking spaces.

Look at how much room is taken up by legacy park and Cajun Village
http://www.louisiana.edu/AboutUs/CampusMap.pdf

That little subdivision north of Rex between Lewis and St. Mary is prime real estate, too. It is a nice quiet enclave that most people overlook. It would've been nice if the university had started about 30 years ago quietly buying properties as they became available. I believe some of the profs live there.

[Cajunbander]

I would like to see UL do something that resembles what has been done at river ranch with those large 5 story apartment/condos. You can really pack em in that way. Put them side by side and 5 stories high, then build a parking garage in the middle hidden from view. We can't build out anymore. We need to start building up. By tearing down Cajun Village and building up you can easily triple the number of apartments and triple the number of parking spaces.

Look at how much room is taken up by legacy park and Cajun Village
http://www.louisiana.edu/AboutUs/CampusMap.pdf

I agree. I think UL and Lafayette both need to start building up and not out. Take for example New York and other big cities. Buildings that have a store or deli on the first floor, and then four or so floors of apartments.

[RedCajun]

I am also curious to see how the Apartments on Bertrand Drive succeed (or fail) catering to students. I read that they have a leasing office set up in Follet's Bookstore.

I live in the neighborhood behind those apartments and am curious as well. Hopefully this does not increase the amount of cut through traffic we get. Speed "humps" were put in to limit this about a year ago.

[CajunRebel]

That little subdivision north of Rex between Lewis and St. Mary is prime real estate, too. It is a nice quiet enclave that most people overlook. It would've been nice if the university had started about 30 years ago quietly buying properties as they became available. I believe some of the profs live there.

Actually I know UL owns at least one of those houses, probably more.

[Cajun Power]

That little subdivision north of Rex between Lewis and St. Mary is prime real estate, too. It is a nice quiet enclave that most people overlook. It would've been nice if the university had started about 30 years ago quietly buying properties as they became available. I believe some of the profs live there.

It would be way too expensive to buy out those houses, and it would be a shame. That's a very nice area. If you're going to tear down houses, do it elsewhere.

I like the idea of the higher density apartments, like in River Ranch. Building Legacy Park style is a waste of space. In that same footprint they could fit twice to three times as many students.