'We know nothing': The Edition delays opening again, residents express frustration

The residents of The Edition on Rosemary still have not moved into their apartments — almost two months after their original move-in dates. 

After an initial delay to Oct. 1 in July, The Edition on Rosemary alerted future residents that it would be unable to meet that goal at the end of September.

The Preiss Company, which manages the property, said it learned of the further delay from their general contractor on the evening of Sept. 20 in an email to The Daily Tar Heel.

The replacement of an eroded water main, which led to the initial delay, has been more challenging and time-consuming than anticipated, Adam Byrley, chief operating officer of The Preiss Company, said in an email.

The initial plan to tap the existing water main to provide service for the property was insufficient — the instruments used to access the main were incompatible due to the water main's degraded condition, Byrley said.

Along with complications with the installation of laterals, which are pipelines that connect the building to the main, challenges arose from the protocols laid out by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority for approval to activate service.

According to OWASA, in order to tap into an existing water main, the contractor must furnish all materials needed to make the connection. Residents must also be notified by an OWASA representative in writing 48 hours before the main is shut off, and the contractor must have an approved traffic control plan in place.

When tapping into water mains, an OWASA Distribution and Collection Systems Division crewman must be present and the assembly must be air-tested after installation.

“The ownership team is collaborating directly with the water and sewer authority, the general contractor and the site contractor on a daily basis to develop creative solutions and remove any obstacles impeding our progress,” Byrley said in the email.

Currently, there is no tentative opening date, but Byrley said that the delay is expected to be at least 30 days.

Alexis Cromwell, a sophomore at UNC who signed a lease with The Edition before the delays, has decided to terminate her lease with The Edition and study abroad next semester due to the possibility that residents may be unable to move in by the end of the semester.

Byrley said residents could continue to stay in the hotel they were placed in after the first delay with no additional rent payments, find new accommodations while receiving a $50 per day stipend or terminate the lease entirely with a full refund.

The news of the further delay came during midterm week for Cromwell, which she said added to the stress she was already facing. 

Cromwell has been staying in the Aloft Hotel, which she said has felt isolating. She said she thinks The Edition could offer easier transportation and better access to food.

Because of the small refrigerator and lack of a stove in the hotel room, everything she eats is a premade meal.

Cromwell said she thinks The Edition could also be more communicative with residents — most of the information she said she is currently hearing about the situation are rumors.

“It's definitely a behind-the-scenes thing," she said. "We know nothing besides, like, rumors of what's happening over there."

Tatum Davis, a junior at UNC who also signed a lease with The Edition, said there were a lot of rumors that they were not going to be able to move in on Oct. 1 before the official announcement was made.

“About a week and a half before Oct. 1 is when they finally told us that we weren't gonna be able to move in, which in itself was just a little frustrating because a week and a half is not very much notice,” Davis said. “It's a lot more frustrating this time, and you feel less understanding.”

Davis, who has been staying at the AC Hotel, said she has been made to move out of her room a few times as the hotel was already booked. She said residents were not provided with alternative housing options.

She said she understands there are a lot of reasons for the delay and she feels this is not the fault of the people in charge.

“There's really not a ton that they can do, but being honest and having clear communication with the future residents I think would be the main thing that they could do to improve everyone's experience overall,” Davis said.

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