Faculty Get Housing

By Staff Writer Jared Trice

With over 19 new construction projects underway, George Mason University hopes to not only create a more campus-centric environment for students, but also for the university faculty and staff. Mason is currently constructing a 157-unit faculty and staff housing development situated on 27 acres of the Fairfax campus, a project that the university hopes will help in the recruitment and retention of the “best and the brightest.”

The faculty and staff housing development, dubbed Masonvale, is part of the $75 million Northeast Sector Development Project, the largest construction project to date. Masonvale will afford university faculty and staff members the “convenient and affordable” option to live on campus, an option that the university hopes will serve as a recruitment and retention device for current and perspective university members.

The university hopes that the first 50 units of the phased-development project will be available for occupancy in August 2009 and all 157 units available by May 2010.
Located on the northeast section of campus with access from Roberts Road, Masonvale will feature townhouse-style units and will offer occupants the option of one to three bedrooms with floor plans ranging from 650 to 1,400 square feet. The well-furnished living spaces will feature granite countertops, steel-faced appliances, a washer and dryer, and tiled floors.

The faculty and staff housing will be for rent only, and occupants may have the option to sign one to two-year leases. Rental rates will be set at 90 percent of the market value. Applications for the first 50 units will be accepted on Masonvale’s soon-to-open website from May 15 to May 30. While there is no priority given to the first applicants, the university plans to offer tenured and research faculty recruitments first priority placement within the development. Full-time graduate students enrolled at Mason will also have the option of living within the development.

Jody Winter, Masonvale’s project manager, expects Masonvale to be an attractive option for university faculty and staff.

“The northern Virginia area is so expensive, so we need to do everything we can to make the transition easier. Masonvale has been a vision of the president and vice president for many years, and we hope that it will help the university retain the best and the brightest,” said Winter.