Boston University is finalizing a master lease with 1047 Commonwealth, an off-campus apartment building, in preparation for the return of students on campus this Fall.
The University has signed a deal with 1047 Commonwealth that is to be finalized July 15, BU Spokesperson Colin Riley said. Located close to West Campus, it is the only off-campus housing that has been master-leased by the University thus far.
Riley said 1047 Commonwealth is an interim provision to provide additional housing spaces for students near campus. Students can stay in these units only if BU Housing chooses to place them there short-term.
“Since it is a temporary addition to our inventory, it is not going to be available to students as a part of a room change request or for room selection,” Riley said. “BU Housing will assign students to the residence as needed.”
Interested applicants for 1047 Commonwealth received an email June 30 from the leasing team, informing students that they will no longer be able to provide accommodation because the available rooms and spaces have been leased by BU through July 2021.
“Unfortunately, we no longer have any availability at this time, as all the units and spaces have been Master Leased by Boston University,” the email read.
Riley said the landlord of 1047 Commonwealth will be providing current residents and students who previously signed a lease with the residence with alternate apartment options.
More information will be provided at a later time regarding whether students who already leased with 1047 Commonwealth for the upcoming school year can choose to switch to on-campus housing despite not having signed a BU Housing agreement.
Housing prices for 1047 Commonwealth will be similar to that of room types in the University’s current Housing system, Riley said. The price for those currently living in the residence may be lowered because of this.
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President Robert Brown had said in an interview with The Daily Free Press that additional housing will be created to accommodate the influx of students in the Fall. He said these extra spaces will allow for the University to move ahead with its plan to form households.
1047 Commonwealth had once been a part of BU’s on-campus housing options due to its proximity to campus, Riley said. BU had a two-year contract starting in 2016 to house University students while Myles Standish Hall was undergoing renovations.
The apartment building has a history of providing alternative housing to local universities. Suffolk University occupied the space two years ago.
BU will provide more details on how the rooms will be used at a later date.
Wangkai Zhu, a rising sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said that as an international student currently unable to fly home, he had signed the lease with 1047 Commonwealth hoping to continue living there for the next academic year.
“I guess what I’m planning to do now is find another apartment,” Zhu said. “If not possible, I will have to fly home which is very difficult at this time.”
Zhu said he hopes the University or the landlord make suitable arrangements for all students who were dependent on 1047 Commonwealth for their housing plans.
“The best thing that they could do is give 1047 back to us again, and at the same rate because we are all BU students and I hope that will be feasible,” Zhu said. “Otherwise, I just hope maybe [they] could find us another apartment, whether on-campus or off-campus, that will be similar to 1047 Commonwealth.”
