A change of plans

Most students who moved to campus this weekend were able to unpack all their boxes.

But that was easier said than done for would-be inhabitants of Cobb Residence Hall, who in a few weeks will again be setting up their dorm rooms.

Because of renovation delays, the 400 students assigned to Cobb were temporarily re-routed to the new student family housing apartments off Mason Farm Road.

Officials said the renovations — originally slated for completion Aug. 6 — will not be finished until later in the semester.

Many students who moved into their temporary homes this weekend were impressed with the facilities.

The apartments offer more amenities than most residence halls, such as a full kitchen.

“These apartments are really nice,” said Mac Clark, a freshman from Greenville. “It’s almost like my own house.”

But a number of other students were not as positive about their new homes. The apartments sit about a quarter mile south of Hinton James Residence Hall.

“When we first moved in, there was a fact sheet that said the Pit was only a 25-minute walk,” said Sandy Pham, a junior from Wilmington.

“It would have been so much closer from Cobb.”

Sophomore Tim Shelburn, who moved in Saturday, described the walk toward campus as terrible.

“I haven’t quite figured out how to get down there without going through the woods,” he said.

The closest stop for the P2P — the primary form of late-night bus transportation for students— is at Hinton James.

Room allocations have distressed some — upon moving in students found themselves with several roommates when they had expected only one.

Two-bedroom apartments are housing six students each, and one-bedroom apartments are housing four students. Students will have their own bed and desk, but they have to share a closet and dresser with a roommate.

Some say they plan to alleviate the crowding by using the apartments’ living rooms as bedrooms.

Cobb is expected to reopen in October, and housing officials told students that they would provide assistance in moving them back to North Campus.

Sophomore Meredith Binkley said she initially was disappointed when she heard about the move.

“But I think it will all work out,” she said. “The main thing is that we all won’t feel settled until we get permanent housing.”

Officials did not cite specific reasons for the delay in the Cobb project other than general work site hindrances.

“(The contractor) fell behind over the summer and is struggling to catch up,” said Larry Hicks, director of the Department of Housing and Residential Education.

The already-delayed Cobb project also was struck by tragedy earlier this month when an on-site accident resulted in the death of a worker.

Officials from the project’s construction company, C.T. Wilson, declined to comment on the matter other than to confirm the death.

Officials said they wanted to investigate the matter internally before discussing it publicly.

Assistant Photo Editor Alison Yin contributed to this article.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.