CURRENTS

July2, 2007

Currents--University of Rochester newspaper

Riverview offers new student housing option

By Sharon Dickman

An artist’s rendering of Riverview Apartments with the Rush Rhees Library tower visible in the background.

The University is collaborating with private development company Riverview Equity I, LLC who will build apartments across the Genesee River from the River Campus as a residence for 400 undergraduates.

Construction of the Riverview Apartments, a five-building, 120-unit complex on South Plymouth Avenue near Barton Street, is expected to cost about $25 million, says developer John Yurtchuk.

At a groundbreaking ceremony on June 27, Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy praised the project and called it “one more example of the University exercising its influence in the community.” University leaders, students, and staff gathered with community organizers and residents for the ceremony.

President Seligman expressed “profound gratitude” for the many people who’ve shown interest in the project and to City Council member Dana Miller, in particular, who has been dedicated to 19th Ward community revitalization since 1984. “This is a reward for perseverance and faith in yourselves. It’s a reward for you,” said Seligman.

The project was initiated last fall by Yurtchuk, president of Matrix Development Corporation of Amherst, N.Y. “This has been a positive and uplifting experience. Really a team effort,” he said at the groundbreaking. “Building this collegiate village within an established community will help bring new economic vitality to the neighborhood along with meeting the growing housing needs for University of Rochester students.”

The apartments, which will be about a 10-minute walk across a pedestrian bridge to campus, will be available only to University students. Because the apartments are new, they will offer amenities not available in existing campus housing—for instance, air conditioning and separate living rooms and kitchens. In the summer months, some of the apartments may be used for conferences and other residential programs.

There will be a combination of two- and four-bedroom units in the mix of three- and four-story buildings. Each fully furnished apartment building will have laundry and vending facilities. The parking lot will accommodate about 300 cars.

Ronald Paprocki, senior vice president for administration and finance and chief financial officer for the University, says the project in southwest Rochester will help connect the campus to its neighbors and encourage students to become more involved citizens.

“Feedback from our Sector 4 neighbors, city leaders, and the University community has been overwhelmingly positive,” Paprocki notes. “Everyone is excited about this new opportunity to develop the area and enhance our relationship with the city.”