Real Estate Company’s Charlotte student housing properties join UNCC in GREEN3 Project
CHARLOTTE, NC – June 4, 2009 – University Village at Charlotte and University Club recently joined with University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) to participate in the SIFE/University Village GREEN3 Project. The community project is meant to serve as an interactive learning experience between the university, property residents, and the property management company.
Both Charlotte properties are owned and managed by The Preiss Company, the largest provider of off-campus student housing at North Carolina State University, Clemson University, Auburn University in Alabama, and the University of Texas in Austin and the second largest provider at UNC Charlotte. University Club is a 520-bed property and University Village at Charlotte offers 660 beds. Amanda Miller, Assistant Property Manager of University Village at Charlotte, and David Mahnke, Assistant Property Manager of University Club, worked with SIFE Project Leader, Shirley Gomes, to coordinate the GREEN3 Project.
Five apartments participated in the Project, which judged participants on two categories: Recycling (how materials were recycled and if they were recycled properly, the use of eco-friendly bags when shopping, how was printer ink disposed, and what kinds of cleaning products were used) and Electricity (how much electricity was used and what was the residents’ mode of transportation). The Project began with an initial inspection, followed by a workshop, and concluded with the final inspection. Each apartment was evaluated using a scorecard, which was created by SIFE in conjunction with various community environmental organizations.
“I can’t thank The Preiss Company enough for letting Students in Free Enterprise conduct this competition with University Club and University Village at Charlotte,” said Gomes. “I’m happy with all the results the GREEN3 Project has done for these apartments, and I hope that these apartments continue to be eco-friendly.”
The winning apartment was estimated to have saved just under $90 in electricity bills alone just in one month’s time and was awarded one month’s free rent. University Village at Charlotte and University Club Area Manager, Donna Tripp, is proud of her managers’ and residents’ efforts and was surprised that no other Charlotte properties took advantage of this opportunity.
“I was really surprised when Amanda [Miller] told me that our properties were the only ones to partner with SIFE on this Project,” said Tripp. “Being better stewards of our natural resources is a responsibility we all share and need to be committed to. I’m grateful for the efforts of both Amanda and David [Mahnke] for undertaking this contest and for getting the word out to our properties so effectively. The interest showed by our residents was encouraging and is a reflection that our new generation of leaders shares in our desire to protect our environment today, as well as to preserve it for the future.”
About The Preiss Company
Founded in 1987 by Donna Preiss, TPCO employs over 168 team members and provides a wide range of services including acquisition, property management, due diligence, construction management, development, and consulting for multi-family real estate investments. Beginning its 22nd year, TPCO has formed over 50 partnerships and developed over 20 projects stretching from Maryland to Texas. The company recently entered into the Myrtle Beach market with their purchase of University Village at the Coast, a 436-bed apartment property located three miles of Coastal Carolina University. For more information, visit www.tpco.com.