New housing underway for WIU students

There's been a lot of dirt getting pushed around lately at the corner of South Ward and West Grant streets in Macomb. A company called O.C. Communities is creating a new complex of WIU student housing with 100 homes, each with two, three or four bedrooms. If all goes as planned, the new units should be fully constructed and ready to rent by the start of the fall 2008 semester.

As of Tuesday, January 22, the scene at South Ward and West Grant looked like this:


What will the finished units look like? The company recently set up a model home in a lot over at the 500-block of West Jackson Street:


The Macomb Eagle's Laura Black reports that a major component of the new housing complex will be its community feel. Students will have access to an on-site computer lab and exercise facility; there will even be advisers available to help with things like resume writing.

United Campus Housing, the company planning to handle the day-to-day management of the complex, has already launched a new website with floor plans and other information. No word yet on how many students have already signed leases for next school year.