New off-campus student housing Twenty91 North to open next summer

UB students will soon have yet another off-campus housing option.

Twenty91 North is the newest off-campus housing complex near UB, which will be accessible from Sweet Home Road and contains 192 apartments for 640 students. It is set to open on Aug. 26, 2016.

University Living, a division of the Michaels Organization, owns and manages Twenty91 North. The Michaels Organization owns eight independent companies and has been involved in the development of affordable housing for students, including at Rutgers University.

“We are only a little over a mile from campus and you can be in class in just a few minutes with easy access via the bike path, driving and shuttle service,” said Delight Merrill, the regional leasing specialist for University Student Living. “Our community is also gated and focuses on privacy.”

Twenty91 North has reached out to UB students via email and although it doesn’t open until the summer of 2016, students and their parents can currently visit the model apartments.

The apartment complex will join the several other similar complexes around North Campus in Amherst, including the University Village at Sweethome, Villas at Chestnut Ridge and the Villas on Rensch, which are all owned by American Campus Communities.

Twenty91 North has 12-month leases. A two- or four-bedroom apartment’s monthly rent ranges from $735 to $805 with a $150 security deposit. Residents also have access to a clubhouse that includes a fitness center, business center, computer lab, game room, pool and a hot tub that holds up to 25 people.

Although all utilities and expenses are included in the rent, there is a gas cap put on each apartment.

Villas at Chestnut Ridge offers four-bedroom apartments for $739 a month, two-bedroom apartments for $834 a month and one-bedroom apartments ranging from $1,024-1,039 a month. Villas on Rensch offers four-bedroom townhomes for $779 a month.

University Village at Sweethome houses approximately 800 residents. The complex has cheaper “early bird rates” for the first 50 leases and the corporate office has yet to release the normal state, according to a representative.

The Villas at Chestnut Ridge and Rensch, Sweethome and Twenty91 North all have similar benefits, as they all offer private bathrooms, pools, fitness centers, free tanning, cable and Wi-Fi and utilities are included under a gas cap.

And like other complexes in the area, Twenty91 North will also provide a shuttle to take students to and from campus, according to Twenty91 North officials. The company has not yet disclosed the details of the availability of the shuttles.

But some of the students who live in these apartments think transportation and affordability are the main downsides to living in off-campus apartments.

Jennifer Mayhew, a senior business administration major, currently lives at the Villas on Chestnut and used to live at University Village at Sweethome. She said she doesn’t use the extra amenities besides the gym and advises students to live in a house rather than off-campus apartments because of affordability.

“I would say it’s better to either live on campus or in a house on South [Campus],” Mayhew said. “Living on campus is better because you’re closer to classes and there’s no need to drive and try to find parking and end up late for class.”

Haddiyyah Tomas, a senior health and human services major, lives in University Heights and said while living there is much cheaper, transportation is a con.

“These types of apartments are convenient if you want your own space and you own a car, but I wouldn’t recommend it,” said Yarini Garcia, a senior speech and hearing science major.

Garcia formerly lived in the University Village at Sweethome.

“They are costly and being a full-time student you practically can’t enjoy what you’re paying for,” Garcia said.

Regardless of students’ past experiences with off-campus housing, Merill hopes Twenty91 North brings something new.

“We are ready to wow everyone with Twenty91 North and we are excited to welcome our UB residents,” Merrill said.

Jashonda Williams is a contributing writer and can be reached at news@ubspectrum.com.