Junktacular New Windows Going in University Apartments
(Photo courtesy Hannah Peele)
The plastification of the University Apartments has begun in earnest, as the new window next to old windows above shows. The windows appear to be de rigeur inoperable, fake muntined, white vinyl. I'm not particularly 'worried' about the installation of carpet in these apartments - it's a mistake easily undone. This is not.
Beyond the sustainability, aesthetics, etc. - why businesspeople want to cheapen the value of their asset is beyond me. Replacing windows that would easily last another 70 years with ones that will fall apart in 15 while diminishing the attractiveness of your apartments speaks to a business which must use a one-size-fits-all pro forma for all of their properties. As long as you make your target return, don't go shakin' it up to do things a better, and ultimately more profitable way. Put another way - going for the win, rather than the win-win-win.
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32 comments:
I dunno... the old windows look pretty bad, and I bet a lot of them couldn't even be opened any more. I'm sure the new ones are a lot more energy efficient too.
I guess "looking pretty bad" is a matter of taste, but the numerous open windows out there don't really back up your second assertion. As to energy efficiency, replacing the glazing in the old windows with double-insulated/Low-E panes could achieve equal or greater energy efficiency, without expending all of the energy to turn petroleum into vinyl windows and install them, and the energy lost by tossing the old ones. All while maintaining the operability and aesthetics of the old windows - the win-win-win I was referring to.
GK
Ripley,
Just point of fact- ALL of the windows are still operable after 70 years. Take it from the residents who love them and live here in this 97% occupied building. (atleast that was what it was before Capstone moved in on June 2, 2009.)
ps- adding carpet, where there was none before, even if 45% recycled material is NOT a "sustainable" choice. Vinyl, NOT a sustainable choice. A pool, NOT a sustainable choice. W/D, over sized appliances, even energy star, again, NOT a "sustainable" choice.
It makes me ill to know that this firm, Capstone Companies, a US Green Building Council member company is doing this. They really should be ashamed.
Oh, and I forgot one thing. Importing your labor from Alabama, great for the local economy.
hoorah progress! maybe our pal, jeff monsein, can supply the vinyl siding to go over that inefficient brick. now thats local, baby!
Horrible, just horrible.
What will become of all the original windows--landfill?
Gary - Out of curiosity, is the cost difference between reglazing the existing windows and replacing with the vinyl windows significant?
It's certainly more expensive up front to re-glaze the existing windows with energy-efficient glass. I can't tell you the magnitude of the difference, but there is quite a bit more labor involved. It would be enough to make it an easy decision to buy vinyl if you just looked at the two numbers side-by-side. However, that's the reasoning behind historic tax credits - 40% of the cost of the entire renovation (no, not the pool) is recouped. Replacing these windows eliminates the ability to take those tax credits.
Gary
Crap, pure, crap. Cheap, and fake. Vinyl is not final. Do you honestly think that American Tobacco would have the same appeal or its other buildings if they had installed vinyl windows and carpeted the floors in that space? No, wait, they took advantage of the valuable tax credits available to historic properties, 40% total of the rehabilitation costs. Would a potential 40% CREDIT have offset the cost difference between upgrading the glass and glazing, compared to the pieces of crap being installed now? I bet it would have, or at best, gone a long way.
Call it respect for older properties and the quality materials used then, environmental sustainability, or snobbery, but architecturally altering significant buildings like these promotes mediocrity in places like Durham. If we want to continue to attract young folks to consider and invest in older parts of Durham, we must remain interesting, and different. Vinylization of properties like this one and others is setting the example that we strive for shades of beige....
Myers
Blech. What a vile and disgusting cookie-cutter 'upgrade'. :(
Don't get me started on what's green or sustainable. I've seen people pay double or triple for 'green' building materials only to have to ship them in from out of state, sometimes upwards of 500 miles away. Somehow, I think the fuel used in the special transfer truck delivery of recycled goods should be deducted in the equation... and maybe it is, for LEED projects, but the casual consumer isn't aware of such factors, and management companies seem to be concerned with appearances only.
Good call, recommending the replacement of panes rather than entire window units.
Gary is right. It is unlikely that this building could ever get eligible for the tax credits by some subsequent owner because of the alterations being made. In my opinion, that devalues the property.
The fact that we don't own the property, doesn't mean that Durham citizens don't have a right to create a political atmosphere where public outcry for such changes to their landscape is deemed unacceptable. In the absence of this, and the fact that regulation is such a challenge to obtain (local historic districts, and local landmark designations), we can expect more of this.
Myers
PS I just thought about this, but I bet that these apartments could have been eligible for local landmark status, putting it under the jurisdiction of the historic districts commission. This would carry with it a 50% property tax deferment. Another potential missed opportunity for Capstone. Short sighted, one size fits all approach, wins out again.
You can't see it in this photo, but the glass on this window cracked when they put it in and the vinyl "trim" on the right side is already warped...so the life span of the windows was more 15 minutes than 15 years. When I pointed it out to a friend yesterday she said, "of course it's already broken, the building is Pissed!" (sidenote: the windows are operable; they're side-by-side sliding windows.)
In terms of the Local Landmark status, it's certainly a possibility (and one that has already been run by the planning department). Initial research turned up several similar Raleigh apartment buildings that have been listed as Wake County Landmarks (two from the same time period by a Durham-based architecture firm!). Three little issues: 1) the deadline has already passed for this year, so they wouldn't be eligible to collect until the 2011 tax year (I believe).
2) the owner needs to agree to the designation... and by their actions so far they don't seem particularly interested in Durham's architectural heritage.
3) a property tax deferral (and historic tax credits for that matter) don't do you any good if you plan to sell the property in a few years... not that I have any insider information here, just what I've heard on the street.
Do the residents of these apartments pay their own electricity bills or is there a "master" meter and the owner/landlord pays it all? I'm guessing it is paid by the owner and they saw a cheap and quick way to reduce their operating expenses to increase the value of the property and will sell it soon after the market picks up again. They will likely make money, at the expense of Durham losing more of its character.
I just drove by the sister property in Raleigh yesterday, and it has the old windows and looks fantastic. Like one of the above comments said, this is just one more example of how Durham's unique aesthetic and architectural heritage has been cheapened and diluted. Once it is gone, for all intents and purposes, it is lost forever.
Heather is right about the local designation/tax deferment opportunity being at least til 2011; however the historic preservation tax credits can be retained by the property owner, even if they choose to sell the property later. One can choose to sell that credits as I understand it when the property is transfered, but it's not a requirement.
As for Carey's comment about "increasing the property's value" by reducing operating costs, I don't think this is valid. These apartments are individually metered for electricity. To my knowledge natural gas is used to heat water, and water itself, is not individually metered. So lowering operating costs would have minimal impact on the owner.
As for the sister property in Raleigh (Cameron Court) heat pumps were installed in the early 90's. The radiators were removed, but hot water was still included. It would have been difficult to live on the 3rd floor as I did from 2005-2007 without AC. The heat pumps were an improvement to the property, even though having a number of those units littered all over the grounds wasn't particularly attractive. Regardless their charm remains. I can't say as much for University Apts.
Myers
Has any effort been made to establish a dialogue with Capstone?
Many good points made on ED but what good is that if there is no involvement of the property owner?
Myers,
Thanks for the info. As you say, in that case, it really makes little sense for them to switch out the windows - actually seems like a waste of money, as they won't realize the financial benefits of lower utility costs. Maybe they thought it would be more appealing to prospective tenants and help them lease up more units, but that doesn't make sense either, if the property is 97% leased. I'm lost for answers here...
Tar Heelz
Several people have told me that they've tried to have a dialogue with Capstone about tax credits/historic integrity of UA and have been rebuffed. I haven't tried personally.
GK
Although not a good photo, take a look at this link of the Boylan Apartments in Raleigh, also across from St. Mary's. They are of the same era as University Apts. & Cameron Court. They just completed a renovation using historic tax credits, and guess what they kept, the steel casement windows! They are now referred to as the Historic Boylan Apartments. Interesting how Capstone makes reference on their website to the historic University Apts., and its setting, while simultaneously undermining its integrity.
If anyone from Capstone is out there, please, please, please let us show you another way! An appropriate rehabilitation can be done which will help increase the desirability and value of your property. Many examples are here of how to do it, and how to make the tax credits work exist here in Durham, and around NC. Just give us a chance to show you!
Myers Sugg
http://www.godowntownraleigh.com/go/boylan-apts
Capstone is bunch of flippers, they are a student housing company. They are going to 'renovated' it, fill it with Duke Undergrads (currently not the main component of its residents) and either sell it to Duke or someone else. As an out of state firm they could care less what happens here. Idle speculation: they were hired by Duke indirectly to move some of the students during planned central campus renovations.
-current univ apt resident...but not for long. PS rents are going up by ~25% in one year now that they bought it, thus pricing out the current residents who are mostly not students.
What does "muntined" mean?
Not sure if this will help or not but the Capstone "transitional team" assigned to Univapts includes the following individuals:
Karen Wigley: Exec. VP of Capstone Properties LLC, team leader of aquisitions and off campus manag't kwigley@capstonemail.com
Davis Maxwell: Assistant VP of Capstone, in charge of operations and assists with resident concerns
dmaxwell@capstonemail.com
Blair Hebert: Assistant VP of Capstone, in charge of marketing and advertising
bhebert@capstonemail.com
Josey Young: Interim property manager. Currently in charge of Cottage community in Columbia, Missouri. Josey recently headed up a successful renovation project in Auburn, Alabama.
jyoung@capstonemail.com
Bill Raybon: Construction Foreman for Collegetown Construction, the construction arm of Capstone. No contact info given.
Office phone: 919.489.3112
Fax: 919.419.9288
This is what I'm afraid of and starting construction sans required permits prompting a stop work order does not bode well. ps- as of today, applications are being filed and plans submitted. I sure would like to see those plans...
University Apartments
Storrs, CT: (Feb-18-08) The University of Connecticut (UConn), the owners of Hilltop Apartments, brought a lawsuit against Capstone Development Corporation based in Birmingham, AL, over a botched construction job on the apartment that resulted in numerous safety code violations, including faulty electrical cables. The lawsuit claimed that the construction defects cost UConn roughly $25 million to fix, after Capstone Development refused to return and finish repairs. Construction problems were first revealed in 2004 when inspectors discovered elevated levels of carbon monoxide in some of the apartments. The legal battle has been ongoing since 2004 when the flaws in the apartments' design were first noticed.
Sources close to the case stated that the parties had reached a settlement in which Capstone Development agreed to pay about 76% of the costs spent repairing the apartment complex, though UConn also incurred over $800,000 in legal fees. Sources estimated that the university stands to recoup just under $15 million from the settlement. Though the administration is not able to comment on what occurred during the settlement process, the university did agree that roughly $5 million of the $25 million were meritorious defenses, comprising things like minor material costs. [THE DAILY CAMPUS: CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS]
Another vote in favor of the stylish new windows! The residents probably were complaining all the time about the old ones, and now they're complaining about state of the art new ones? Get a life......
Windows that only last 15 years "state of the art"? Hah!
What a tool!
Okay folks - whatever your opinion of the windows, residents, Capstone, etc., let's avoid territory wherein people don't have lives or resemble construction implements.
GK
Will someone please forward the article about UConn/Hilltop/Capstone to the Mayor, City Council, and the Planning and Inspections departments? Surely the permit can be delayed until a fuller discussion has been completed.
I'm sure Mike Woodard and Eugene Brown will have comments on this one....
Replacing the current windows would use more labor - which we sorely need in these economic times!!
Anon
I assume you mean that replacing the glazing in the current windows would use more labor than replacing the windows wholesale - in which case, I agree!
GK
Yes - that's exactly what I mean! REPAIRING the current windows (replacing the panes, etc) would use more labor than putting in new vinyl. Restoration makes economic sense!
If you truly have questions regarding how this debacle took place ask away....I was the previous Maintenance Supervisor before the Capstone monster arrived.....needless to say that nagging feeling that said, "leave...leave now" was very foretelling.
C.
are all the new windows in yet? Any other "enhancements" underway?
Most are in at this point. Looks just super.
GK
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