Student housing has been all the rage in the neighborhoods surrounding Temple in recent years, and it's almost a surprise that there are any vacant lots or blighted buildings remaining in the area. But alas, a considerable number of empty buildings remain and there's still plenty of lots too. Until very recently, the northwest corner of 17th & Norris had a building right at the corner, an overgrown field to the north, and a small forest to the west.
Visit this corner today and you'll see a very different scene. Just to the north, four duplexes are approaching completion, sporting some of the brightest bay windows you'll ever see. The leasing company, Walnut Realty Group, is calling this development Tuscany Suites (a hundred bucks if you can convince us they evoke Tuscany in any way), and they're marketing the 4 bed/4bath units for $600/room. Each unit comes with a 40" Smart TV in every living room, turfed backyards with grills, and probably a significant security deposit requirement.
On Norris Street, two more duplexes also look like they'll be ready for the upcoming school year. We can't find specifics on these units, but we'd have to imagine it's a similar situation. No word on whether the bays on these units will match the 17th Street buildings. Maybe something in a cherry, to show some school spirit?
The construction starts in this area seem to have slowed down some, at least compared to a couple of years ago, but you can see that development continues rolling along. But Temple keeps growing and students keep coming and if this wasn't a lucrative business model, you know the developers would stop doing what they've been doing. We just wonder, how long will it continue, and how far from campus will it stretch? The extent of both has surprised us so far, and we expect we'll continue to be surprised in the coming years.