A new suite-style apartment community under construction near the University of South Carolina Upstate’s main campus in Spartanburg aims to provide housing for 288 college students.
Valley Falls Apartments will be situated on a 10-acre lot at the intersection of Tenosha Drive and Valley Falls Road across from the college.
According to site plans filed with the county, the development will feature seven buildings, including six apartment buildings and a clubhouse that will sit beside Smith Cantrell Lake.
“I’m very excited about this project,” said Scott Brunet, manager of Higher Learning Housing LLC, the developer. “I have experience in building apartments near college campuses all over… I think (Valley Falls Apartments) will be a very nice set up. It should be pretty cool.”
Brunet said each apartment building will be three stories and have 12 units, or four suites per floor.
The suites will include four bedrooms and four bathrooms, which means each resident will have their own bathroom.
Units will be equipped with washers and dryers, microwaves, flat screen TVs and other furnishings, Brunet said. Rent will be $500 per resident each month, and that cost includes utilities, such as water, power and wireless Internet.
He said the first three apartment buildings, or 36 units, will be available to rent in May 2017. The final three buildings will be completed in August of next year.
The clubhouse will have a recreation area that features a pool, sand volleyball court, boat dock and other amenities.
Tammy Whaley, assistant vice chancellor for university communications, said USC Upstate is able to house 1,000 students on its campus.
But, with a student population of 6,000, the college relies on independent housing to provide students with opportunities to live near campus, she said.
In 2008, Florida-based Campus Suites LLC opened a nearly 500-bedroom apartment community, now called Campus Evolution Villages, off Valley Falls Road between USC Upstate and Interstate 85. Whaley said that development has been very popular with students and believes Valley Falls Apartments could have a similar response.
“It’s so close to campus,” Whaley said. “We think this is a wonderful opportunity for our students.”
Brunet said leasing details will be made available at a later date.
