University Commons sold

After a $28 million sale, the former University Commons has changed its name but little else. Rechristened "College Park at Campus Corner," the apartment complex will eventually undergo some renovations, though the new owners are unlikely to make specific plans until January. \n"Management is different, the staff is different, but as far as leasing goes, everything is the same," said Lori McGee, property manager for the complex. \nThe 252-unit "resort-style" apartment complex was sold Oct. 4 to Pennsylvania-based College Park Communities, which owns and manages 96 properties across the country, said Marlene Sahms, director of marketing for College Park Communities. \nFuture changes will include "interior and exterior upgrades," Sahms said in an e-mail. \nBut McGee said the company probably will not decide what exactly will change until January because that's when the complex will get its budget. \nSenior John Alo, a resident of University Commons for the last two years, said most residents were not aware of the sale right away. Alo was aware of the situation because he knows people who work in the apartment's management office, but residents were never sent a formal letter announcing the sale, he said. \n"It was a slow transition, like they didn't want to let us know what was going on," Alo said, adding that he was skeptical about the sale at first because they were not notified.\nFortunately for Alo, who said he chose University Commons because of its amenities and its affordability, the sale will not affect rent -- at least, not right away. McGee said rents, which currently range from $395 to $599 a month, have already been fixed for next year. In the future, rent might rise slightly because of improvements, she said. \n"With every company, there is an increase in rent for every year they do that little bit," McGee said, referring to renovations that could be made. \nSince the sale, management has become stricter about enforcing community rules, such as not leaving garbage on the balconies, but otherwise nothing else has changed, Alo said. Residents have not been asked to sign a new contract with the new owners of the property. \n"We just got a letter about violations, and at the bottom it had a new company's name," Alo said. "They are much stricter because some people weren't responsible about cleaning up. They were real lazy and just put their bags of garbage out on the balconies." \nOverall, he said, the sale did not seriously affect the residents of College Park. \n"(Other College Park residents) didn't express any concern about the change in management, and some didn't know it happened," he said.