Beleaguered Dinkytown apartments are now open, but tenants say expensive units feel unfinished

Tenants have begun moving into a beleaguered Dinkytown apartment building more than a month later than promised, following construction delays that frustrated students and their families.

But building residents and University of Minnesota student government representatives say Identity, where rent for a four-bedroom unit totals $4,800 per month, rushed tenants into unfinished facilities.

Josh Ichen, a university senior who crashed on a couch at his fraternity house until his fourth-floor unit was ready, said he and his roommates had to clear what seemed like sawdust from their kitchen counters. The elevator next to his apartment wasn't working when he moved in, so he had to lug his belongings from an elevator on the other side of the building.

"There are little problems like that where it feels like nothing is really ready," Ichen said.

Student representatives also shared images of scuffed window panes and video of an uncovered bedroom vent that connected directly to a unit above it, leaving little room for privacy.

"There are damages and other issues that the people at the leasing office haven't addressed," said Siya Sakhardande, government and legislative affairs coordinator for the university's undergraduate student government. "They gave [tenants] an unfinished product."

City officials gave Identity the green light to open 162 of the building's 308 apartments on Sept. 26, according to a copy of the temporary certificate of occupancy.

Inspectors had to make sure all of the building's essential functions, including electrical systems, sprinklers and elevators, were operational before Identity could allow any tenants to move in. The rental license covers the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of the building. Both floors of the underground parking garage are also open.

A representative for CA Student Living, the company that owns and operates the building, said managers have been fielding occasional concerns and have been referring tenants to building maintenance. They also said one elevator went offline for about 45 minutes the first day tenants were moving in.

A handful of tenants are suing the company that owns the building.

Identity Dinkytown, built on the former McDonald's site near campus, prompted concerns in early August when property owners told tenants the luxury apartments would not be ready on time. Leaseholders were furious — many reported paying rent before they were told they wouldn't be allowed to move in on time.

CA Student Living gave tenants the option of finding temporary housing on their own or living in hotel rooms paid for by the company. Residents were paid either $150 or $80 per day, with those who chose the hotel option receiving the smaller sum.

University students who found their own housing told a legislative committee in late September that paying for gas, on-campus parking and meals quickly gobbled up their per diem. Some who chose the hotel found themselves similarly scrambling to make ends meet. The hotel rooms Identity officials paid for didn't include microwaves, refrigerators or laundry facilities, leaving students to pay for those necessities out of pocket.

Ichen said Identity managers were unclear in their communications about a final move-in date. When they gave a definitive answer, students were shocked to see that it coincided with homecoming week. That meant snarled traffic and a rush to move in during one of the busiest times on campus.

"From what I've been hearing from parents and students, it all felt very unplanned," Sakhardande said.

Identity officials say they couldn't give tenants a definitive move-in date until city inspectors gave them the go-ahead — just days before homecoming week festivities began.

The saga has led student government leaders to press for state and city policies to prevent future construction projects from ending in messy openings. Katie Smithberg, another student government and legislative affairs coordinator, said Minnesota lawmakers should allow tenants to break leases on newly constructed apartment buildings if their units aren't finished.

"If a landlord doesn't uphold their contract, there should be no question that tenants should be allowed to leave," she said.