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FSU students, parents frustrated with apartment move-in delay(Julie Montanaro\/WCTV)<\/p>\nTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – It\u2019s move-in weekend in Tallahassee as thousands of FAMU and FSU students are back in town settling into their dorms and apartments ahead of classes starting on Monday. <\/p>\n
Except students at the brand new Perla Apartments in College Town can\u2019t move in yet because the building isn\u2019t ready. <\/p>\n
Construction workers were busy working on the entryway and sidewalks outside Friday. Ladders and other equipment could be seen inside the ground floor windows.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of students are now scrambling to make other plans after a last minute email told them their apartments wouldn\u2019t be move-in ready until next Friday, August 28.<\/p>\n
FSU students, parents frustrated with apartment move-in delay(Julie Montanaro\/WCTV)<\/p>\n
Emails shared with WCTV by multiple families say Perla confirmed their August 21 move in date on Thursday morning, but another email later that same day informed them the apartments would not be ready for move in as scheduled.<\/p>\n
FSU student Beau Harring and his mother said they\u2019re frustrated by the last minute notice. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe packed the car, got ready. 9:05 a.m., like I said, they sent another email and said \u2018Hey, guys cannot wait to see you guys tomorrow, and then, like I said, 5 p.m., they let us know that we\u2019re not going to be able to move in,\u201d Beau Harring said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have nowhere to go with his stuff,\u201d Sarah Harring said. \u201cMy husband and I have to go back home. We have to return the rental car. We have to go back to work, and he\u2019s now…has nowhere to live and who\u2019s gonna move him next week?\u201d <\/p>\n
The Harrings and other residents received emails apologizing for the delay and offering displaced residents free hotel rooms starting Sunday, a $50 per diem, a $20 per day Uber gift card and a credit on their rent for each day until they receive their keys. <\/p>\n
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FSU students, parents frustrated with apartment move-in delay(Julie Montanaro\/WCTV)<\/p>\n
Multiple families wound up packing into a VRBO in Tallahassee at the last minute.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were other people who were also moving into Perla but couldn\u2019t find a place, so they were able to book here,\u201d Christian Kay said. \u201cNow we have a bunch of people in this house, but it\u2019s fine because we\u2019re all going through the same thing and we all gotta work together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA week from now … hopefully they can stay true to that date this time,\u201d Damian Mularz said, \u201cbut yeah, it\u2019s just a week. We\u2019ll get through it.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an email several students shared with WCTV, Perla said \u201cdespite our best efforts, all units, including floors three through seven, will not be ready for your scheduled move in.\u201d <\/p>\n
Property managers for the Perla apartment complex said \u201cresident wellbeing\u201d is their top priority and they are \u201cworking closely with the City of Tallahassee and [their] construction team to complete this process as quickly as possible.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThe team at Perla is finalizing the last steps of the city\u2019s certificate-of-occupancy and inspection process ahead of the Fall semester move-in. Resident wellbeing is our top priority, and we are working closely with the City of Tallahassee and our construction team to complete this process as quickly as possible. Out of an abundance of caution and care for our residents, we have a comprehensive support plan in place\u2013\u2013including temporary housing, transportation, meals, storage, and direct communication\u2013\u2013for any resident who may be affected. We will share updates with residents and their families directly as they are available. For more information, please contactpr@cardinalgroup.com.\u201d<\/p>\n
WCTV reached out to Hedrick Brothers Construction about the delays. In a statement Friday, they shared they are working to finalize the certificate of occupancy and the inspection process ahead of fall semester move-in.<\/p>\n
Hedrick Brothers Construction is actively working with their project team to complete the remaining work at Perla Student Housing and prepare residences for immediate student occupancy. Our teams and trade partners are working diligently on site, with a focus on completing the project safely and in accordance with the standards required for successful turnover.<\/p>\n
We recognize the importance of getting students settled into their residences as quickly as possible. Temporary hotel accommodations have been arranged for affected students while the remaining work is completed, and the project team is coordinating closely with all parties involved to minimize disruption during this transition.<\/p>\n
Hedrick Brothers Construction will continue working collaboratively\u00a0with the property Owner, City of Tallahassee, Building Department, Fire Department, and the Owner\u2019s Private Inspection Provider\u00a0to move the remaining work forward as efficiently as possible.<\/p>\n
It was at this same construction site, on the corner of Gaines Street and Lake Bradford Road where a large-scale I.C.E raid took place in May <\/a>of last year.<\/p>\n Six people were arrested during the operation. <\/p>\n When asked if the 2025 raid played a role in the move-in delay, Hedrick Brother Construction said no single event is \u201csolely responsible for their current completion timeline.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cConstruction schedules on a project of this size and complexity are influenced by numerous factors throughout the course of construction. We would not characterize any single event as solely responsible for the current completion timeline. Hedrick Brothers\u2019 focus today is on completing the remaining work safely and efficiently and working collaboratively with all project stakeholders to prepare the residences for occupancy,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not clear exactly how many students are impacted by the delay. <\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n