Construction on the Chief Joseph apartments delayed students from moving into two buildings on time this month.

The delays have affected some students’ academic endeavors. Savanna Johnson, a senior studying music education, said the delay set her behind in rehearsals.
“I’m in drumline,” Johnson said, “and so I had to actually take time off from rehearsal to move.”

Johnson received an email from the school informing her of the delay about a week before she was scheduled to move in. She then got a call about the second delay, which was when WSU informed her that she would be staying in Orton Hall until the building was ready, she said.

Students were scheduled to move into buildings B and C on Aug. 1. WSU had to inform tenants they wouldn’t be able to move in until Aug. 12, WSU Housing Director Robert Tattershall said.

“Basically,” he said, “the contractor ran into some delays and had hoped for some earlier entry days, and just wasn’t able to meet their optimistic predictions.”

The contractors, NNAC Construction of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, have financial incentives in their contract to finish construction on time. Michael Undseth, Northwest Regional Manager for NNAC, said the construction project ran into many roadblocks.

He said there were issues with the site’s grading in accordance with the ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act. There were also concerns from the City of Pullman regarding temporary certificates of occupancy, as well as meeting WSU’s requirements before they can house students, which are more stringent than the city’s.

Undseth said these types of delays are not outside of industry standards for renovations. The buildings have to go through inspections before occupants can move in, which lasted longer than anticipated for the renovated apartments.

Students in building C could move in on Aug. 16, two weeks after the original date. The students stayed in Orton Hall rent-free and received storage and moving help from the university. They also were not required to pay rent for the time during the delay, Tattershall said.

Johnson said that while the delay was inconvenient, the university was helpful through the process, a sentiment that fellow WSU student Katie Berndt shared.
“Whenever I contacted them about any of the questions I had, they got back to me within a day,” Berndt said. “They were really forward and helpful about it since it was a sticky situation to be in.”

Building C still has work left on light fixtures before they are completed, although students are already living there.
While residents in building C were finally able to enter their rooms, tenants in building B are still waiting for their new apartments. Tattershall said their wait should be over soon.

WSU Housing Services delayed the move-in date, pushing it back from NNAC’s completion date of Sept. 1 to Sept. 13, according to a WSU email sent to an affected student.

In addition to the compensation, University Maintenance has stored extra furniture that the students didn’t have room for when they moved into Orton. Tattershall said they offered residents free help when they moved into Chief Joseph.

The university, as well as NNAC Construction, wants to move students in just as much as the students themselves, he said.
“We want them in, and they want in,” Tattershall said. “They have been very patient.”

While Berndt and Johnson said their interactions with the university have been positive, Tattershall said the students and their families have been understanding.

This is not the first time that construction on a university residence has been behind schedule and forced temporary relocation of students. McCroskey Hall on the south side of campus fell a total of six weeks behind schedule in 2001, forcing students to stay in Perham Hall temporarily, Tattershall said.