Opinion Board | Pricing students out

At first glance, Radian seems like a great idea.

The complex, being constructed at seemingly record speeds on 39th and Walnut, offers a laundry list of amenities, sits on prime real estate and will do that much more to address Penn's dearth of student housing.

Well, at least for rich kids.

Indeed, while the University is waxing triumphant at the prospect of alleviating college housing woes, Radian will only do so for those willing to shell out $1,000-plus per month.

With Radian's exorbitant rates there's no question that many Penn students will be priced out of the new building.

That's a shame considering it's a stated goal of the University to move students east of 40th Street, where our pesky collegiate antics tend to disrupt the neighborhood and discourage families from moving in. It's an admirable goal - one which, in practice, the University has completely ignored.

It's not that we think Radian will have trouble filling beds. They'll do just fine. And we're not suggesting that the Radian is engaging in some kind of outrageous price gouging; for the product they're offering (HDTV lounge, anyone?), their prices are sadly reasonable.

But why didn't the University work with a developer to ensure that their vision was something less upscale and more affordable? Something which would appeal to all Penn students, rather than just a privileged subset.

There's nothing that can be done about this now except for the University to learn from its mistake. As Penn expands eastward, no doubt more opportunities will arise to work with developers on student housing. Eventually, the administration will get a chance to prove that their commitment to relocating students east of 40th is more than just rhetoric.

Until then, Beige Block it is.

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