TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The new semester is now in week two, and dozens of Tallahassee college students are still without permanent housing.
Florida State University student Juliet Rodriguez was one of several who spent Friday packing up their belongings after their move-in for the newly-built Perla apartments was delayed for a second time.
“We paid to move in in August. August is over,” Rodriguez said. “They’ve been very vague with like, if we’re even going to be able to move in next week.”
Developers for the complex shared that delays with construction, inspection and final approval have halted move-in.
Since last week, the students have been staying at Hotel Indigo in College Town, with expenses paid by the apartment owners.
Students were informed last week that the apartments would be ready for move-in on Friday, Aug. 28.
On Thursday, Aug. 27, an e-mail was sent out, letting them know they’d be moved to another hotel closer to campus.
“They’re putting everybody farther for the next two days because of game day,” FSU student Maryn Buchsbaum said. “Then, they’re moving us back here so we can walk to classes again.”
“But, at least I have a car, because some of them are being moved to the capitol. The one by the capitol building, and they don’t have a car.”
Buchsbaum said she was initially assigned a hotel on near Apalachee Parkway but was moved back to another location about four minutes away from campus by car.
“I’ve got a car full of stuff over there that I’ve been moving back and forth: my clothes, my books, all of that sort of stuff,” said Buchsbaum. “So, it’s been difficult.”
The apartment owners have also offered the students help with transportation, as well as rental reimbursement for each day they’re displaced.
One student, who wanted to stay anonymous, said she’s tired of the whole process.
“We have to go check in at another hotel that’s 25 minutes away until 3 p.m.,” said the student. “It’s just extremely inconvenient. The management team still has no idea what’s going on. This is really just like a whole mess.”
The new move-in date is now expected to be next week, according to Thursday’s e-mail.
Students said they still don’t know what day that will be, and they’re at their wits end.
“If we’re not moved in by Friday, I think we’re definitely looking at breaking our lease,” said the anonymous student.
The construction company building the Perla said they’re still working with the property owner, City of Tallahassee, fire department and the owner’s private inspector to ensure the building is safe to move in.
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