Seniors have new off-campus housing option

The nearly 400 Loyola College students who choose to live off-campus will have a brand new housing option in 2008, one that will give them the advantage of Loyola-maintained townhouses just a few blocks from the Evergreen Campus. The new complex, adjacent to the College off of Notre Dame Lane, will be available exclusively to seniors.

Rahner Village, named for 20th Century German theologian, Karl Rahner, S.J., will house 160 seniors, four Resident Assistants and two professional staff members this fall. Loyola purchased units in the complex, formerly known as Gallagher Park, in 2007, renovating them to be ready in time for Fall 2008.

Students living in Rahner Village will have the best of both worlds, according to Carrie McLaughlin, Director of Student Life.

“Students will have the freedom of living off-campus, but will not have to deal with landlords,” says McLaughlin.

Previously, the townhouses, which were occupied mostly by Loyola College students, were leased primarily by absentee landlords, many of whom were cited for violating zoning and safety regulations. The College eventually banned students from living in the apartments due to unsafe living conditions.

Since buying the units, Loyola has installed emergency phones, security cameras, and outdoor lighting to improve security on the property. The College has also added smoke detectors and fire safety equipment and removed enclosed patios and sliding doors.

 “We can give our students a better quality of life when the College owns and maintains the housing facility,” says McLaughlin.

State-of-the-art security technology will be installed at the complex, including equipment that will alert campus security if a door is left open for an extended period of time. Doors can only be opened with a student’s ID card.

While the new apartments technically are located off-campus, they will have the look and feel of a campus-owned complex with the traditional black wrought-iron fencing that surrounds the College’s York Road Facility just across the street. There will be common areas, green space and outdoor patios with grills to allow for organized social activities. All College housing policies will apply.

Students are excited about the new location. Within the first 90 minutes of open registration for 2008-09 housing, every unit was filled.