The Green on Campus drive apartments opening first buildings in fall
Rendering of parking terrace and surface parking at The Green on Campus Drive. Courtesy Woodbury Corporation
Rendering of east wall and sidewalks across from Lakeridge Junior High School at The Green on Campus Drive. Courtesy Woodbury Corp.
The ceremonial groundbreaking is conducted for The Green on Campus Drive, a planned student housing complex, on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, in Orem. The project was previously known as the Palos Verdes project.
Map showing Palos Verdes development area on the far east area of UVU. It is surrounded on three sides by university property. Courtesy UVU
Student housing and underground tunnel leading to UVU campus at the new student housing development The Green on Campus Drive. Courtesy Woodbury Corp.
A joint effort between the Woodbury Corp. and PEG Development to provide additional housing, particularly for Utah Valley University students, will begin opening its doors this fall.
The Green on Campus Drive will open up two of its five buildings, which includes 145 units this fall. There are four bedrooms with each having its own bathroom, and with four renters per unit, according to Mike Hollopeter, PEG construction project manager.
The parking terrace is also completed with all five buildings expected to be finished by January 2022.
Of the apartments that will be ready for fall, Hollopeter said 46% are already leased. The cost is about $500 per room, according to Hollopeter.
A small retail space attached to the building is expected to open this fall and is anticipated to have some branding with UVU, perhaps a small eatery or bodega-styled shop. In 2021, a café will open in the mixed-use area of building two, according to Hollopeter.
Construction has continued during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Precautions have been taken by R&O Construction, including: wearing face masks and social distancing,” Hollopeter said. “The majority of workers are in the LatinX community and they are a big concern of ours.”
Hollopeter said all precautions have been taken to make sure that work environment is safe.
Ground was broken for the complex on Feb. 12, 2019, following a year of controversy and concerns voiced by surrounding neighbors.
“They never gave up the vision,” said Astrid Tuminez, UVU president, at the groundbreaking. “This is a game changer. It will give a sense of belonging, a sense of pride and a sense of inclusion to tens of thousands of students down the road.”
In her comments about the development, Tuminez thanked former president Matthew Holland for having vision for what this project could be.
“In the heat of the battle there’s been frustration,” said Taylor Woodbury, of the Woodbury Corp. at the groundbreaking. “But we are so proud of what we’re doing. Generations of students will benefit from this project.”
Now the fruits of many hands are being seen, Hollopeter said.
“We have been very sensitive to the desires the city council presented years ago,” Hollopeter said.
Among the requests was a screen with trees and shrubs on it to cover the parking terrace as it looks east. There will be no charge for parking so renters do not have to look for places in the neighborhood to park as asked for as well, Hollopeter said.
Construction modifying areas for safety around Lakeridge Junior High, which is across the street from the complex, are ongoing. They will widen the road area, add a new light at 400 W. 960 South in front of the school, provide for ADA ramps and an enlarged parking area for teachers.
New landscaping is also being completed as part of the construction at the school.
A campaign involving members of Let Orem Vote and the Southwest Orem Neighborhood Association, sought to stop the project and garnered enough signatures for it to be a proposition on the November 2018 ballot. The complex was approved by voters in a close vote.
The complex was built in an area known as the Palos Verdes neighborhood. All of the homes in the area were purchased and razed for the project.
Randy Woodbury, president of Woodbury Corp., emphasized at the groundbreaking that this was a long-awaited occasion.
“This is the premier housing opportunity for students on campus,” Randy Woodbury said. “We’re excited. This project will make a difference for the next 100 years.”
The Green will offer 1,605 single-occupancy rooms for the residents, a parking structure and unique amenities to the area, including retail spaces.
“As part of the joint venture between developers, PEG Companies and Woodbury Corporation, the project will include the donation and construction of a pedestrian tunnel to allow for direct, walkable access to campus, which will significantly reduce traffic congestion around the university — an area known for transportation gridlock and frequent crashes,” according to a Woodbury press release.
According to internal research, it is estimated that in 2018 student housing facilities collectively only accommodate less than 13% of the 39,931 students enrolled at UVU, forcing the large majority of students to either commute from across the Wasatch Front or to find their own lodging.
Now there are more than 42,000 students attending UVU.
PEG and Woodbury Corp. are working with R&O Construction as the project’s general contractor, and with Humphreys & Partners Architects on the design.
