Tuscaloosa, Ala. —Enrollment growth may not be keeping pace with the number of beds under development, according to the committee.
Photo credit: Jeff Hanson, University Relations,
University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, Ala. — The Tuscaloosa News is reporting that Mayor Walt Maddox has assembled a task force comprised of 16 business leaders, city officials and university staff to examine the student housing market in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The committee will evaluate the city’s policies to determine any changes in light of much development in the city, which has followed a growth of 13,000 additional students at the University of Alabama since 2002. According to the article, 12,432 new multifamily bedrooms have been built in that time, with 8,711 in the planning phases. The task force plans to gather data to determine whether there could be excessive over building in the market. There is concern among the members that there may not be enough student renters to fill all the new beds. City government and residents have led recent objections to proposed projects, including one tract known as the Arlington site.