UNCP seeks to add Courtyard to university housing

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News

UNC Pembroke’s Office of Housing and Residence Life will take over all operations of Courtyard Apartments on July1, 2012, if its request to the UNC Board of Governors and Council of State is approved.

The university Board of Trustees approved the request during their November 18 meeting. The UNCP Foundation, the current owner of Courtyard, had approved this change at a meeting in September 2011.

Constructed in 2001, the 98-unit, 336-bed apartment complex has been owned for 10 years by the Student Housing Foundation, LLC, a subsidiary of the UNCP Foundation, Inc. The lease agreement between the foundation and university requires approval from UNC’s Board of Governors and the state.

Valued at $11 million, Courtyard is located on 12.6 acres across University Drive from UNCP. It features two- and four-bedroom apartments, a pool, a beach volleyball court, a game room and a fitness center. Adding the Courtyard complex to the university’s Office of Housing and Residence Life will increase the diversity of student housing at UNCP, university administrators said.

The UNCP Foundation is an independent, nonprofit corporation chartered in 1968 to raise money for the university. The foundation also owns three other residence halls, Cypress, Oak and Village Apartments, offering a total of 1,196 beds. There are 1,896 available beds on campus, not counting Courtyard.

“The UNCP Foundation works for the benefit of the entire university,” said Neil Hawk, vice chancellor for the Office of Business Affairs and an ex-officio director of the foundation. “As UNCP’s enrollment grew, the foundation has worked to develop student housing to support the growth.”

Courtyard is already under the jurisdiction of Campus Police and Public Safety, and with the proposed handoff in July, students will also be served by the campus judicial system and the programs of Housing and Residence Life.

There are many positives for students, said Preston Swiney, director of Housing and Residence Life. “With its amenities, Courtyard adds to the diversity of housing we have to offer,” he said. “It also helps us develop the north side of campus as a center for residential life.”

Swiney said his professional staff and their resources will benefit students at Courtyard with programs that range from community service to counseling. He said the property is a good addition to campus.

“It’s a beautiful property and facility,” Swiney said.

For information about Courtyard Apartments or student housing at UNCP, please contact the Office of Housing and Residence Life at 910.775.4253 or email housing@uncp.edu.