Hundreds of UNLV students are now getting word their new apartment building is being delayed, again.
Contact 13 has learned students were informed last week the building will likely not be ready for the fall 2018 semester, a full year after it was supposed to be finished.
The new housing complex called "The Degree" is part of a 40 year housing plan to revamp and bolster the university's on-campus living capacity.
"Degree was supposed to be built in 2017 but we recently got an email saying they don't know when it will be built," said Nicole Furushiro.
Furushiro is studying entertainment technology and design and she was hoping to move in.
A letter obtained by Contact 13 shows project leadership continues to blame numerous issues for the construction delays and apologizes for the inconvenience.
The letter goes on to say there is not enough information from the new construction team to give an accurate timeline as to when the project will be ready. At the moment, there is no guarantee the building will be finished in time for the 2018 semester, according to the letter.
"I definitely want to know when it will be completed so I will have an idea when we will be able to move in finally," added Furushiro.
The project faced a major set back in September 2017 when construction stopped. A dispute between the construction company and the developer resulted in a legal fight over a $20 million dollar lien on the property. A court hearing is set for Tuesday.
Last month, a new construction company was announced and work is expected to begin again soon.
Contact 13 reached out to project management and a spokesperson released the following statement.
“Asset Campus Housing, property manager for The Degree, has communicated with students frequently on construction progress at The Degree, which experienced construction delays. The project now has a new general contractor, and work has resumed. We are currently awaiting an updated construction schedule and will share it with students once finalized, along with key construction milestones and updates.
In all cases, students who signed leases at The Degree were released from their leases without penalty, and all deposits were refunded. Students have also been provided assistance with finding alternative housing. If students cancel their lease with The Degree now (without penalty) and re-lease once the building is delivered, they will receive all previous incentives that were offered. Other incentives may also be offered but those will be determined closer to the time the project opens.”
Asset Campus Housing, Property Manager for The Degree
