12/23/09 Student housing working its way to Dearborn on The Counter Project

Dearborn is one step closer to having apartments for use by students at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Henry Ford Community College. Student housing in Dearborn has been talked about for several years, but one thing or another has always gotten in the way of progress. But this week, Dearborn’s city council voted to go forward with local businessman Hakim Fakhoury’s proposal to develop, among other things, student housing in downtown west Dearborn.

Well, to be clear, the city actually approved Fakhoury’s plan a few years ago, but it’s taken longer than Fakhoury expected to get things rolling, so the vote this week was to give Fakhoury and his development company, Dearborn Village Partners, one more year to get things done.

In March 2008, UM-D announced the results of a survey of their current, admitted and prospective students. The survey showed that a sizable chunk of the respondents would be interested in living in student housing on or near campus—74% would be interested in on-campus housing, while 65% were interested in student housing within a two-mile radius of the school.

The benefit of having student housing downtown is tremendous. First, students will have a place to live with other students. I think the value of this is lost on many people not in college. A sense of community is developed when students are neighbors with other students. The proposal, as it now stands, would ultimately allow for 650+ students to reside in downtown west Dearborn. From my conversation with Fakhoury this past summer, it’s my understanding that the apartments would be built in the parking lot behind Buffalo Wild Wings and Panera Bread.

The second benefit comes in the form of a rejuvenated downtown. With an infusion of that many new residents (all unfettered by mortgages, families, and other adult responsibilities), we’re going to see a lot more independent and national retailers and restaurants showing an interest in setting up shop here. Plus, as the fall semester comes to a close today, Dearborn won’t see many of those students here again until January; if they lived here, our streets would now be packed with young residents who don’t have any school responsibilities for the next few weeks.

Third, having student housing available benefits the university and HFCC. In that survey from 2008, over 80% of students who chose not to go to UM-D did so because of the lack of student housing.

The property management company that Fakhoury is working with on this project, Campus Village, also has housing complexes in East Lansing (Michigan State), Detroit (Wayne State), Flint (Kettering), Adrian (Sienna Heights), and Toledo (University of Toledo). And while we don’t know what rent would be for the student housing in Dearborn, rental rates are available on Campus Village’s website for all of their other locations.

Here’s a sample of what they are:

Wayne State

Studios - $400-$600/mo

1Bd - $550-$750/mo

4bd - $1500/mo

Michigan State

1Bd - $910/mo

2Bd - $1430/mo

5Bd - $3000/mo

Kettering University

2Bd - $3276/term

3Bd - $4725/term

5Bd, 2.5Bt - $7065/term

University of Toledo

Studio – from $365/mo

4Bd, 4Bt - $1944/mo

Some of the amenities offered at the locations include a washer and dryer in every unit; a community center; lounge; fitness center; computer lab; free tanning; Wi-Fi throughout; satellite TV hook-up with HBO in every unit; community pool tables; units with a fridge, microwave and dishwasher; central air; and secured building entrance. Fully-furnished units are also available.

So with Fakhoury’s one-year deal with the city to get this done, if all goes according to plan, things could look very different in downtown west Dearborn by this time next year. Along with the student housing, Fakhoury plans developing an Emagine movie theater/bowling alley at the former Bally’s site on Michigan Avenue, condos, a piano bar, a hotel, a parking deck, and other retail and dining options, including a long-awaited Fatburger on the corner of Michigan and Military.

Of course, a development project like this is often like a house of cards: if one aspect of the plan falls, the whole thing is at risk. I suspect this is one reason Fakhoury’s development has largely gotten nowhere over the past two years—student housing was on hold because the city wanted to keep all of their options open as to where it would ultimately go, and with the student housing on hold, the movie theater people got nervous about profitability, and with the movie theater people balking, the Fatburger people got nervous, and with no new restaurants or retailers opening up—and with a few businesses failing because of the economy— everyone began to think Dearborn was letting out a death rattle.

On the contrary, things are just starting to get interesting. But it all comes back to student housing. Without this aspect of the project going forward--without an influx of young people living downtown-- nothing else can succeed.

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Member Opinions:

By: Greely on 12/23/09
I'll beleive it when I see it. Although, if it happens I think it will be great. Those apartments sound pretty sweet. As long as the rent stays reasonable, they shouldn't have any problem finding enough students wanting to live there. The rent from other colleges seems comparable to rent around here, but the amenities they offer really sell it.

By: Apple78 on 12/23/09
Why not build the apartments closer to the schools? Or even right on campus? There's plenty of land around the UM campus.

By: cocoapuffs on 12/23/09
I could be very wrong but the majority of kids I know in my neighborhood that go to HFCC do so because at the present time that is all their parents can afford. They can't afford extra money for their kids to live away from home. The survey shows that 74% were interested in living away from home but can 74% afford it?

By: Bababooey on 12/23/09
cocoapuffs, there are more than 20,000 students that go to UMD and HFCC. You don't think there are 600 or so that would be able to afford to live there? We don't need 74% to afford it, only about 600.

This is gonna be huuuuge people. Huuuuuuuuuuge!

By: triscuit on 12/23/09
I don't think 650 new residents will alone rejuvinate downtown Dearborn, but imagine if 500 of those students invite 2-3 of their friends to hang out, that's another 1500-2000 people walking, shopping, dining, and boozing it up on a regular basis. Good deal.

By: Samira on 12/23/09
Love it!

By: Ava on 12/24/09
OMG! This is totally why I chose EMU over UM-D, I wanted to have the full college experience and not just live with my parents or in an apartment but wanted to live with other students. I would've probably gone to UM-D if student housing was an option when I was choosing which school to go to. So I agree that this will help draw students to Dearborn. UM-D wasn't even on my radar because there was no dorm or apartment option for the students.

By: Ava on 12/24/09
Plus, cocoapuffs, the economy won't be bad forever. Even if parents can't afford to send kids away right now, this project seems to be looking long-term. Anyway, I think kids that go to HFCC no matter what the economy is like usually choose that for financial reasons. So even a good economy won't change their inability to use the housing.

And also looking long term, if parents and kids are factoring in housing expenses into the cost of college, UM-D (with student housing available) will now be a consideration, where before it wasn't. And if they can't afford housing, no big deal, they can still use it as a commuter school.

This gives students in the area another option for college, which is awesome. Those that want to live at home, still can. And those that want to have more of a traditional college experience complete with student housing, will have this as an option.

By: Bababooey on 12/24/09
Ava, great points all around. I think people aren't looking enough at the big picture here, and only see this as a big risk right now. Two years, three years, four years down the road, this will (I think) be seen as the thing that helped change Dearborn's landscape from an aging industrial town to a booming college town. Mark my words! It almost makes me want to go back to school...nah, I'd probably be the only late-20 something living there! LOL

By: Johnny.Christmas on 12/24/09
Seriously, for the prices at those other properties, and all of those amenities, this is a great deal. It's not necesaarily a done deal, I know, but if this goes forward, it will be GREAT for the city.

When I went to UM_Dearborn, I lived in the Dearborn Apartments (on Monroe by the train tracks), and while they were pretty affordable, there were a lot of wierd old guys living there too. I knew a girl that lived there and she had more than a few unwelcome advances from scruffy old drunks. Now scruffy YOUNG drunks are a different matter, I'm sure. Which is what she probably would've encountered at student apartments. :)

By: PnkGrly on 12/26/09
Well I don't go to UMD so it does'nt affect me either way!

By: Violet on 12/29/09
I lived in off campus student housing at USF in Tampa Florida for a few years and those prices in the article are comparable to what I paid in Tampa. Students (and parents) are willing spend money on housing that is especially designed for students. No one wants to live around babies and kids when you are a 20something going to school you want to be around other college age kids. And downtown! Are you kidding that would be awesome.

By: Bababooey on 1/2/10
Violet, good points. Being away from babies, little kids, creepy old dudes with sketch backgrounds...all good reasons to want to live in student housing.

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