The Cottages of Tempe leasing office is located on Mill Avenue and Fifth Street. The new housing subdivision features stylized town homes in a gated community, aimed to resemble a suburban neighborhood, but with the amenities of a apartment complex. (Photo by Andrew Ybanez)A new housing subdivision that features stylized town homes in a gated community will start moving in residents in time for the fall 2015 semester.
Jen Wilson, vice president of marketing and leasing for The Cottages of Tempe, said the subdivision aims to bring a new kind of living experience to the ASU community.
“We want to provide students with a neighborhood that reminds them of the street they grew up on,” Wilson said. “The Cottages are going to be homey, relatable and a safe haven for students. We combined the luxury amenities of an apartment complex with the comfort of a neighborhood to create the ideal living experience.”
The amenities include a luxurious swimming pool, a sauna, free printing, private study rooms, tanning beds and complimentary yoga and Pilates classes. It also will have an entertainment room complete with a ping pong table, a pool table and shuffleboard.
Perhaps most importantly, The Cottages will offer a shuttle that will run between the Tempe campus and the residential community throughout the day.
The exact shuttle schedule is yet to be determined, but it is expected to run from early in the morning to late into the evening Monday through Friday.
“We know the shuttle service is something that is important to ASU students because a lot of students don’t have cars to drive to campus,” Wilson said. “We designed this shuttle service specifically to meet the needs of the ASU community.”
Wilson said the shuttle will also provide transportation to and from the Mill Avenue District during the evening and nighttime hours on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Cottages is currently under construction; however, students are already signing leases for the 2015 academic year.
Business communication freshman Mikayla Newman has already signed her lease with The Cottages.
“I’m so excited to live at The Cottages, because they’re designed to look like mini old-fashioned houses, and I think they’re just so charming and cute,” Newman said. “I love all of the extras they offer too, and I get reserved covered parking right in front of my house for only $15 more a month, which is a good deal compared to other places I've looked at.”
Electrical engineering junior Michael Wilkinson said he is not as enthusiastic about the new housing division because the pricing is too steep.
“I think it’s way overpriced for what it is,” Wilkinson said. “My friends were talking about living there, and I’m just not about it because I could get an actual house in the same area for so much less.”
Students expect The Cottages to have a large Greek population, but Wilson said it will cater to all communities, not just Greek life.
“We're very popular with the Greeks, but we want (The Cottages) to be a diverse community," Wilson said. "We want it to become the popular place to live at ASU for all different groups."
The Cottages offer a variety of different housing options, including a three bedroom, three bathroom stand-alone unit, a four bedroom, four bathroom attached unit, and a five bedroom, five bathroom stand-alone house.
Each has the option to add balconies or furniture for an additional monthly fee.
“We've designed a variety of different floor plans to meet different people’s needs,” Wilson said. “I think there’s something for everyone.”
Reach the reporter at jnsoto2@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @JacquelineSot0
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