By Mark Wineka Salisbury Post Last fall, Catawba College offensive lineman Bucky Yates opened up holes for his running backs. Now Yates, who graduated in December, runs interference for the new College Park at Salisbury -- apartments aimed exclusively for students who prefer to live off campus. Yates serves as superintendent for the project, still being built off Old Wilkesboro Road by Makson Construction. As an upper classman, Yates lived off campus himself. He touts College Park as offering comparable amenities to Lakewood, Sunset Manor and Alexander Place, yet having a big advantage -- proximity to Catawba and Livingstone colleges. "It would have been a lot nicer to live this close to campus," Yates says. College Park at Salisbury will hold its first open house from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday on the site, which rises on the hill above the city's Kelsey-Scott Park. The three three-story buildings -- two are under roof already -- will hold 12 three-bedroom apartment units each. At a minimum, College Park at Salisbury will have 108 students and at the max, 216, if each apartment houses six people. Potential tenants are not confined to Catawba and Livingstone students. The residents might attend Rowan-Cabarrus Community College or have any other college student association. Dave Eller and Aaron Akers, partners behind Salisbury-based Makson Construction, have experience building student apartments throughout the Southeast. Eller especially wanted to bring the concept home, and Yates says the College Park buildings will be ready by late June or early July, in plenty of time for fall semesters starting in August. Hard-hat tours are available now. Makson plans to have open houses each month during the summer for students and their parents. Office Manager Denise Southers says the company also plans a grand opening. Property Manager Vicki Foust has been busy trying to spread the news about the College Park venture through college offices and venues such as spring football practices. More information is available on the Web at Maksonconstruction.com, with links to the College Park project, or by calling 704-636-5505. The apartments cost $395 a month per bedroom for unfurnished and $425 per bedroom for furnished. A maximum of two people per bedroom (six people per unit) is allowed. The lease agreements are for a year and require a $200 security deposit and $25 application fee. Each bedroom has a bathroom and walk-in closet. The apartments come with a full kitchen, a washer and dryer and large living room. The units are wired for cable and high-speed Internet and include a $75 a month utility allowance. Furnished apartments include items such as beds, dressers, night stands, a sofa, chairs and dining and end tables. Bedrooms and living rooms will be carpeted. First-floor apartments will be handicapped accessible. The brick veneer buildings come with fire sprinkler systems in each apartment. This summer, crews also will build a 1,200-square-foot clubhouse, which will offer a kitchen, equipped fitness center, big-screen television, conference room, bicycle racks and activities such as air hockey, board games and movie and sports nights. The site also will have a grill area with picnic tables. The marketing team for College Park touts the project's proximity to Kelsey-Scott Park, which has a disc golf course, large shelter, ball field and wide-open spaces. The city also has plans to link the park and the Alexander Pointe shopping center with a paved walking and bike trail, part of the city greenway, that will go behind College Park. Long-range plans for the greenway will have it going all the way from Kelsey-Scott Park to Catawba College by way of the VA Medical Center campus. City bus service will serve College Park. Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263 or mwineka@salisburypost.com.
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