UPDATE: According to a statement from CA Student Living (the developer), HERE Kansas has attained the necessary occupancy permit and move-ins will begin Friday, August 19.
“Our team on the ground handled the situation with the highest level of professionalism. The feedback we’ve received in person and via our social media channels has been overwhelmingly positive and our residents will be moving into their apartments throughout the day today, August 19, in time for students to get settled in before classes start on Monday.”
A brand new apartment complex next to the KU campus is still not ready for its residents to move in.
The complex has pushed back its move-in date twice, leaving students and parents frustrated with the inconvenience.
"The building was supposed to be done August 7, then we were told August 15, then we were told August 17. And each of these times we’ve had to change our plans, flights, reservations,” said Wendy Starr, who traveled from Houston to help her son Jared move in.
Jared is ready to get settled before the start of his senior year.
"We feel like we are being lied to and not told everything, and being forced to wait and wonder when we’re going to move in,” he said. “And as time moves on, stress builds, and we’re still not being told what’s happening.”
The city of Lawrence can’t approve the occupancy permit for the new complex because the building isn’t up to code.
A spokesperson for the city told 41 Action News the contractor still has several life-safety items to complete, including fire exits, electrical outlets and the street out front.
A city inspector is working closely with the developers and checking in twice a day.
In the meantime, students and parents are split between the Oread hotel next door and a Marriott in Overland Park.
Clothes, pillows and lamps are among the items piling up in a make-shift storage room inside the Oread.
New #KU apt complex still not ready. students/parents staying in hotels, stuff piling up in make-shift storage room pic.twitter.com/UGiX7lAXXc
— Lexi Sutter (@LexiSutterTV) August 18, 2016
Starr said her frustrations are growing, too.
"They will pay for the inconvenience, but it is still a real hassle.”
41 Action News reached out to the apartment complex but they declined to answer any questions.
As of 2 p.m. Thursday, residents were told they can plan to move in on Friday.
A city inspector will have to sign off before they do. The city hopes to issue a temporary occupancy permit by the end of the day Thursday.
Editors note: A previous version of this story stated the HERE apartment complex is on the KU campus. The apartment complex is next to the KU campus.
------
Lexi Sutter can be reached at lexi.sutter@kshb.com.
