Building management offers compensation for volunteers moving out during
construction
By Olivia Doherty October 04, 2005

When Candice Carpenter signed her lease to live in Chestnut Hall, she
envisioned her future home as a 10th-floor corner apartment with a view of
the city. Instead, she was relocated to the fourth floor with a view of a
brick wall. The 10th floor, the building management told her, would be
undergoing construction.

However, the management did not tell the Penn dental student that she might
have to change locations again.

The management of Chestnut Hall -- located at 3900 Chestnut St. -- notified
residents last Sunday that they "may be voluntarily asked to relocate" while
the building undergoes electrical work and sprinkler installation.

The notice followed two previous letters sent to some residents of the
popular off-campus apartment building. The first letter, sent to 10th-floor
residents on Sept. 17, required them to move out of their rooms within two
weeks. The second letter, sent to the eighth, ninth and 10th floors on Sept.
22, changed the relocation time to 30 days.

Neither offered residents compensation or the option to stay in their
apartments.

Last Sunday's letter, however, took a different tone, making relocation
voluntary and offering $300, moving help, boxes and free utility transfers
to residents willing to relocate.

"The current plan is for one floor to be worked on at a time after residents
voluntarily leave," the letter stated. "Each floor will take approximately
30 days."

Whichever way you look at it, Carpenter said, the situation poses an
inconvenience.

"You pay me money, it's a hassle," she said. Considering the time and effort
that moving requires, $300 "doesn't really save very much of anything."

On Sept. 23, about 20 student tenants met with Michaela Farcas, director of
Penn's Office of Off Campus Living, and a lawyer affiliated with that
office.

Upon the lawyer's advice, students circulated two still-undelivered letters
for interested residents to sign. One expressed the desire not to relocate
under any circumstances, and the other expressed a willingness to move with
compensation.

"The majority of the [letter-signers] were saying, 'No,' as opposed to
compensation," said one tenant who wished to remain anonymous. "So I assume
there's still going to be a lot of opposition. It will be a big
inconvenience for them if everybody stays."

Chestnut Hall is jointly owned by the University of Pennsylvania, the
Apartment Investment and Management Company and the California State
Teachers' Retirement System. Since AIMCO took control of building management
in May, all three partners have planned for facility upgrades.

In a May 31 press release, Penn's Senior Vice President for Facilities and
Real Estate Omar Blaik said he was excited that AIMCO would complete "life
safety improvements through new sprinklers and overall facility management."

Chestnut Hall tenants, however, remained largely unaware of pending
renovations.

Wharton senior Roanna Kong said she was not warned of upcoming facility work
when she signed her lease in August.

"I feel like I was misled," she said.

AIMCO spokeswoman Judy Stowell acknowledged that there might have been some
miscommunication with residents, but emphasized the need to perform the
building improvements.

"We're sure residents will be satisfied and happy to see the final product
when it's done," she said.

Some tenants, like Kong, find the management's compensation offer agreeable,
but a feeling of dissatisfaction remains.

"They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," Kong said. "It
would have been nicer if they did this beforehand."

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