Despite past delays, The Standard construction on time

When Alex Becsey signed his lease, he was concerned that no one showed him the blueprints to his future unit.

“They wouldn’t show blueprints, like the dimensions of the room, which was a little bothersome,” the 18-year-old said. In the Fall, Becsey expects to move

into the Standard at Gainesville, a monstrous building on the corner of West University Avenue and Northwest 13th Street that has yet to be constructed. At the beginning of the semes

ter, 1,200 bedrooms are expected to be ready for residents, wrote Cody Nichelson, a spokesperson for Landmark Properties, in an email. But a similar promise was made last year to students moving into The Standard complexes in Boone, North Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee, the Knoxville News Sentinel

reported. Many of them, however, ended up being sent to nearby hotels and apartments while Landmark Properties, the company that develops The Standard complexes across the nation, finished completing its delayed, already-leased apartments, he said.

Though Landmark Properties projects in other states have had delays, Gainesville construction is on schedule and ready for August 2017, he said. “As we do with every project, we apply lessons learned from previous developments and hope to continue to improve in all aspects with each and every new endeavor,” Nichelson said. It was the location of The Standard that made Becsey want to sign on for the Fall. At the time of signing, team members from The Standard showed Becsey the clause in the contract about providing accommodations if the building was not complete. “Obviously they want to finish as soon as possible, so they won’t have to buy everyone hotels,” the UF psychology freshman said. Even though he does not know the exact dimensions of his room, and the building is still in construction, Becsey signed anyway. If the room was small, or if there were delays, “so be it,” he said. Nichelson said third-party inspectors have shown that The Standard at Gainesville has been on or ahead of schedule at each check.

“Delays in Boone and Knoxville were anomalies — not the norm — and our company’s industry-leading track record proves ample evidence of that,” he said. Though the project has been on schedule, Landmark Properties has a backup plan in case delays do occur, Nichelson said. “If the project should be delayed, residents would be provided temporary living accommodations until The Standard was move-in ready,” Nichelson said. Gigi Anderson, 18, knew about the delays, but said she isn’t concerned. She’s mostly excited about the

apartment’s amenities, like a rooftop pool, and the chance to get out of her dorm, Mallory Hall. When signing, officials from Landmark Properties assured her and her roommates that their project had a firm deadline, especially because of the businesses ready to move in downstairs. “If they don’t finish on time, it’ll be a big deal for them; they’ll lose a lot of money,” the UF chemistry freshman said. “So I’m pretty confident they’ll finish on time.” Brett Dembrow, 20, signed for his room at The Standard the first day it was available. When choosing where to live

next year, he was between Social 28 and The Standard, he said. Though The Standard was still in construction, he trusted it to be more complete than Social 28, which he feels is always having work done. He weighed the pros and cons of The Standard, knowing about the delays, but decided it was the best option for its price and location. “The issue with The Standard was pretty minor,” the UF business administration sophomore said. “I don’t have any doubts they’ll be done on time.”

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