Area plan commission votes in favor of W. Wood Street high-rise development

During Tuesday’s area plan commission public hearing, petitioner Landmark Properties, Inc. requested the rezoning of approximately 0.87 acres located at 210-222 W. Wood St., West Lafayette.

The requested land currently houses students in Evergreen Campus Rental apartments.

After considering the petitioner’s requests and public comments from nine people, the board voted unanimously in favor of the petitioner under the condition that current tenants’ leases end in late May 2025, after students’ graduation, and tenants receive written confirmation of the change.

The petitioner’s proposed project will build a new, thirteen-story high-rise apartment building with 254 apartment units, 680 bedrooms and an internal parking garage; additionally, it will add over 6700 square feet of study space, a pool and fitness center and courtyard deck.

A notice to tenants on June 3 said their leases would be terminated on or before Dec. 24 to begin construction on Landmark Properties, Inc.’s project. The notice resulted in negative public feedback on Reddit and in emails criticizing Landmark Properties, Inc.

A sign on the door of one of the Evergreen Campus Rentals read, “Don’t let them kick us out!”

At Tuesday’s meeting, the petitioner clarified the tenants’ leases will terminate in May.

Current tenants of the land and parents’ of current tenants voiced their disapproval.

“Coming in as a freshman parent, you find out very quickly that you got about four weeks to figure out where they’re going to live next year, and you don’t know what’s coming,” said Amy Owen, the parent of a tenant. “We’ve been through that experience her freshman year and her sophomore year, and we’re preparing to do it again for senior year as she gets back in the fall. But we definitely appreciate the opportunity to at least stay through the school year and not have disruption during the same time.”

“I think first and foremost, we need to consider the fact that (for) this housing there has been no discussion of its affordability,” Ava Reynolds, an impacted tenant and Purdue student, said. “When you look at the demographic of who’s renting at these places, it’s going to be your middle class students who are living off their loans and paying their rent. I think it’s very important to protect future students and ensure they have housing because this further discourages students from being able to pursue their academics for fear of losing their housing.”

In the petitioner’s rebuttal, they said cost per apartment cannot be calculated at the moment.

“The market will end up deciding the prices,” the petitioner said.

The case will pass to West Lafayette City Council with a positive recommendation from the board, expected to be heard July 1.