U.C. condos officially on the market

University of Charleston officials hope that if people are considering moving South upon retirement it will be to South Ruffner.

On Monday, the University of Charleston officially made available to the public the opportunity to live in one if its proposed luxury condominiums along the Kanawha River. About 40 people gathered in the Erma Byrd Art Gallery in Riggleman Hall to get more details on the condos including amenities, cost and projected move-in date.

Though it has cleared all legal and regulatory hurdles, ground has not yet been broken on the condominium project. In the course of her presentation on the project, Vice President for Administration and Finance Cleta Mae Harless said plans to begin construction no later than January 1, 2009.

However, Harless said construction on the proposed 16-unit complex is conditional on two things. First, getting commitments from at least 14 individuals or couples to buy a unit who will, second, put 10 percent down on the purchase price.

“We need 14-10 percent people to make this project go,” Harless said.
Currently, Harlesss said plans are to build one six-story complex along 19th Street and Kanawha Avenue behind Triana Field. Should an additional 14 people come along and put 10 percent down, then an additional complex will be built.

In the event that UC doesn’t receive the necessary commitments and cash by the Jan. 1 deadline, Harless said the project is likely to be cancelled, and refunds to those who did make a commitment will be issued. However, she said despite current economic conditions, including the possibility of a recession, U.C. is confident 1900 Kanawha Ave., the address for the condo project, will become a reality.

“We’re going to aggressively pursue this,” Harless said. “Who knows what tomorrow brings.”

Just like home

So, what would potential residents receive in the unit? Well, “all the comforts of home,” and then some, Harless said.

Though there are different size units ranging from 2,100 to 3,200 square feet, all have gas heat, phone and cable service, 10-foot ceilings with both a hillside and river view. Also, while many of the fixtures are standard in each unit, Harless said a resident can have them upgraded.

“I told someone if you want diamonds in your countertop, you can have diamonds in your countertop,” Harless said. “It’s just going to cost you a little extra.”

Among the amenities common to the complex will be controlled entry, an underground parking area, first floor trash chute and upper level exercise and activity room.

The price of completed units range from $770,000 to $1.3 million, Harless said. The price does not include a contractual $75,000 donation a resident would have to make to UC during the life of his or her agreement, and annual association dues.

According to Harless, the U.C. Condominium Association would be a separate and distinct organization from the university.

Though anyone with the right amount of money can purchase a unit, both Harless and U.C. President Ed Welch said the project was created with retirees or high-income professionals who wanted to downgrade from a home in mind. In fact, Welch said it was those very people who several years ago approached U.C. about the possibility of developing a condominium project.

For those on the cusp of retirement, provisions are available for unit owners to rent it out to someone for a 12-month period up to a total of 36 months. The reason for the limitations, Harless said, is so that what was designed to be a “permanent facility” does not turn into a “transient community.”

Depending upon when ground is broken, Harless, in conferring with the project’s general contraction, BBL Carleton, said residents could move in about a year later. If ground is broken during the winter months, the move-in date could be pushed back as much as six months.

The Clay Center v. Florida

One couple eager to move in is Russ and Virginia Keys of Charleston. The retired business executive and state employee who live on Edgewood Drive are one of the seven people who’ve already made a commitment, and put money down on a unit.

The Keys’ epitomize UC’s intent for the condo project as Russ said he and Virginia were “just looking for something simple to get away from the upkeep of a home.”

Likewise, Virginia said while popular destinations live Florida do offer warmer weather during the winter, having a retirement “home” there would just be more hassle. Besides, migrating South would mean missing out on all the featured events at the Clay Center.

“What’s the point in going to Florida when the Clay Center’s season is September through May,” she said.

Photo: U.C. Vice President for Admininstration and Finance Cleta Mae Harless, explains some of the features available in the university's proposed condominum project during an open house Monday at the Erma Byrd Art Galley in Riggleman Hall. U.C. officials hope to break gound on the 16-unit complex by January

Ex-UC student files Title IX complaint

This article originally appeared in the the March 15 edition of the Charleston Gazette, and is reprinted with permission.

By Veronia Neff, staff writer

A former University of Charleston student, who filed a federal gender-inequity complaint against the university in 2006, has filed another complaint following delays in improvements to a softball field.

Stephanie Kuhn said she re-filed a complaint with the federal Office of Civil Rights, which regulates Title IX compliance, in mid-February after a visit to Watt Powell Park Annex revealed no construction had taken place on the team's field.

"[UC] failed to meet the requirements of the first agreement," Kuhn said.
"They were supposed to provide a field for the team by the spring of 2008."

UC President Ed Welch said unforeseen engineering problems forced the university to delay construction of the field. He said the university will have to raise the field 30 inches and build a retaining wall around the perimeter of the field.

Kuhn filed her initial complaint with the OCR on May 19, 2006, and the office began an investigation in August of that year. The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program that receives federal financial aid.

In October, UC and the OCR agreed to a settlement and the university announced it would revamp the city-owned annex by the start of the spring 2008 season. The season started this month.

"We had to wait for several reasons. One, it's not our property. We're not going to go in there and tear up someone else's property without knowing what that means to the property owner and what that would do to the university's funds," Cleta Mae Harless, vice president of administration and finance at UC, said.

"Number two, once we did understand that we had an elevation problem at the site, you have to consult with the right people. By the time we knew what we were faced with, it was winter time and [it's] not a good idea to start digging and making mud pies in the middle of winter unless you absolutely have to," Harless said.

Construction would have also interfered with the team's season, Harless said. Welch said the university has been in contact with the OCR and has updated them about the delays.

Officials from the OCR could not be reached for comment.

"If all goes well and we stay on our project timeline we should start construction in August," Harless said.

In 2002, UC's softball team lost their field, which was originally located at Blackwell Field, to make way for the university's football program, Kuhn said. In 2005, the field was renamed after Triana Energy of Charleston, which donated $1 million to convert the football field into a soccer field and upgrade the baseball field, she said.

Upgrades to the baseball field included lights, a grass infield, a press box and an elaborate entrance, she said. Meanwhile, the softball team is still playing in the city-owned park, which has no scoreboard, no dugouts, no lights and minimal seating and parking, she said.

"It's not pretty," Kuhn said. "They haven't done much, and I think that is the biggest frustration that they haven't put anything into at all."

Harless said the university had originally intended to invest about $1 million to add artificial turf, new dugouts, bleachers, fencing and restrooms. She said she could not comment on the costs the university will incur because of the additional construction until it receives bids from contractors.

On March 3, Charleston City Council members approved a revised agreement with the university to share the use of the annex. The agreement will allow the university to sell naming rights to the field.

"We will upgrade the field and as a result they will have use of the field for our softball league and the city will have the field for [minor league] football and church softball teams," Welch said. "We're upgrading the field for the benefit of the entire community."