Changes to Park Bethesda management are not an attempt to remove students from the building, but are intended to make the building more financially stable, according to Julie Weber, director of Housing and Dining, at a forum Thursday night.
Weber announced the university will begin working with Riverstone Management Company to rent a portion of Park Bethesda apartments to the public. AU has been losing money on the building since it opened in 2002.
Weber is not too concerned with students having any troubles next year, and said the university "worked really hard to create a transition model that works for students."
Riverstone said it believes the apartments will attract young professionals and will have leases typical of traditional rental models.
"Riverstone believes they will be able to rent any apartment the university gives them," Weber said.
Students will have the option of renting an apartment through the university or through Riverstone.
Students in attendance were most concerned with the shuttle services the university will provide. Weber said that currently, the university is to commit to at least eight hours a day, five days a week for the 2006-2007 academic year.
Student Government along with the Residence Hall Association worked this year to provide supplemental shuttle services to Park Bethesda residents. Whether these services will continue for the 2006-2007 academic year is up to next year's SG executives and the RHA executive board.
RHA President, Will Mount said he believes although it was an unfortunate decision, it had to be made.
"We support the university decision we just wish that Park Bethesda was not losing so much money" Mount said.
Mount thinks that with the decision, there will probably be an increase in on campus residents, but he remains optimistic that students will still want to live in Park Bethesda.
Park Bethesda RHA President Maya Chaplin, a junior in the School of Communication, voiced her concerns about the changes, saying that several current residents, including herself, plan on moving out of Park Bethesda to apartments closer to campus.
Chaplin said she does not believe it is worth staying at Park Bethesda.
"For less than they pay now, students can rent at most apartments around the school ... There is no reason to stay," she said.
The university is still in the process of finalizing all the details with Riverstone and will release more information in the upcoming weeks.
