MIT has contracted with the developer of Worthington Place in Kendall Square to reserve 66 apartments at below-market rents and 25 others at the going rate next semester, primarily to accommodate graduate students. The units will be available for occupancy as soon as the building opens on August 1.
Because of an anticipated decline in fraternity pledging, 72 spaces in Tang (normally reserved for first-year graduate students) are being set aside and offered to upperclass undergraduate students. Undergraduates interested in Tang should contact Residence and Campus Activities in Rm W20-549. Assignments will be made through that office. Requests may also be made through RCA's web site.
To replace the 36 lost two-bed units in Tang, MIT will subsidize 36 units at Worthington Place at 265 Third St. to make the cost equal to Tang's. The other 30 apartments at below-market rents are reserved for graduate students.
There will be three tiers of availability in Worthington Place:
Tier one -- Subsidized to the level of Tang rent, these units will be offered only to new students on the waiting list in place of Tang. Students will be billed for the Tang average rent through the Bursar's Office; a utility cost subsidy of $75 a month will appear as a credit. MIT will also subsidize a Tether connection, either through a credit on the bursar bill or having Information Systems bill the Provost directly. Parking cost will not be included in the rent. This subsidy will only be for one year.
Tier two -- MIT contracted for 66 units at Worthington to be offered at $1,500 per month for a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment, including parking for one car. Assuming 36 apartments will be used to replace Tang, this leaves 30 units for new or continuing graduate students at $1,500 a month. Continuing and new graduate students will have first option for these units. After that, an announcement will be circulated Institute-wide, making the remaining space available to other affiliates of MIT. These units will be posted with the Off-Campus Housing Service and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tier three -- MIT added an additional 25 units to this package at full market rents of about $1,700 a month. Actual rents and apartment numbers have not been established yet. New and continuing graduate students will have first option on these, but due to the cost, a high level of interest is not anticipated. These units will be available for other MIT affiliates if graduate students do not take them.
For additional information,������������������contact Linda Patton, general manager of MIT Housing Services, at x3-4449 or general@mit.edu.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on May 20, 1998.
