This fall students will be able to live, shop, hang out, tan and work out all under the same roof, and still be able to walk to campus. Construction of BlueStone Lofts, which will include student housing and retail opportunities, is currently underway at the old Woodland Middle School site.
BlueStone Lofts will be an option similar to Campus Park and Boulder Ridge in that it offers off-campus student housing with many amenities, but it is different in the fact that retail and restaurants will also be brought into the mix.
“We offer about 12 different options depending on what you like,” said Director of Leasing for BlueStone Lofts Emily Lewis.
Students have the option of a studio, one bedroom, two bedrooms or four bedrooms and can have two people to a room if they would like to lower their monthly rent.
Another way BlueStone is different from campus is the apartments come completely furnished. The only thing students need to bring is appliances.
“This is luxury student living at its best,” Lewis said. “It has all the amenities of other student housing times 10.”
Some of the amenities include: a fitness area, study lounges, game rooms, underground parking, tanning and an outdoor patio area with grills and fire pits.
“They are more expensive than Campus Park and Boulder Ridge but you have to weigh your pros and cons,” Lewis said. “It is everything anybody could ever need.”
For a comparison, Campus Park’s monthly rent is $474, Boulder Ridge’s rent ranges from $420 to $615 and BlueStone’s rent ranges from $473 to $1350 depending on which options you go with and how many people the amount is divided between.
Lewis feels one of the main pros of BlueStone Lofts is its great views and its proximity to campus.
“It is going to be brand new and right next to campus,” Lewis said. “Students can walk to school in their pajamas if they want to.”
BlueStone Lofts will have four floors including the main floor. Lewis says the third and fourth floors will have spectacular views.
“There will be incredible views of the lake, downtown and the football field,” Lewis said. “Students can watch the game from their apartment.”
Lewis has worked in this industry for a while now and thinks that Duluth has been in great need of something like this for a long time.
Junior Blake Smith, studio art major, thinks this will be a great living opportunity for students.
“We could really use some more restaurants close to campus,” Smith said.
Smith knew about the option of new student housing but was unaware of the retail aspect of it.
“From what I’ve heard about them they sound excellent,” Smith said. “I’d love to live there.”
Sophomore Weston Obrycki, exercise science major, likes the idea that they are incorporating restaurants and housing in such a close proximity.
“It would allow for easy access and still be a good distance from campus,” Obrycki said. “I’m not that into shopping but the restaurants would be cool.”
Although Obrycki would love to consider BlueStone Lofts as an option, he will not be able to due to the price.
“That would be a price I would consider for a place after college,” Obrycki said.
BlueStone Lofts began leasing Nov. 1, and is currently leasing for the next academic year. Students will be able to move in Aug. 15.
“We expect it to be full within a couple months,” Lewis said.
As of right now they are only 10 percent full.
BlueStone is currently having conversations with multiple retailers and restaurants that are interested in the development. No decisions have been made yet, but Lewis expects that in the next year we should see something on the premises.
BY SHANNON KINLEY