By Olivia Krauth–

Less than a year after opening, The Grove has been renamed The Arch. The change comes as the student apartment complex changes owners from Campus Crest Properties to Asset Campus Housing.

General manager Brittany Westerfield sent an email to residents and guarantors announcing the switch on May 20. The email also noted new office hours for the complex.

The Arch resident Nolan Scott said residents also found out by door postings.

“It was just posted on our doors. They sent an email out but it seemed very hush hush to me,” Scott said.

“We are pleased to announce that Asset Campus Housing has been assigned as the managing agent of The Grove,” the note said. It continued to explain that many aspects of the complex, like rental agreements, would remain the same under the new ownership.

A representative from Campus Crest said they had sold the property, but did not provide a time. Social media accounts for The Arch had new logos posted on May 18, but did not provide an explanation for the change.

According to The Arch’s website, residents can expect some changes with the switch. Internet and cable will be provided to each apartment, as well as a flatscreen TV. Visitors are now allowed to stay three nights, a one day increase. Rates may change, but will only affect new leases.

“As we continue to manage the community, any potential changes to rates will only effect new leases, no rates will be affected on leases executed before the transition,” ACH’s Joe Goodwin said.

Goodwin also said there currently aren’t special exceptions for residents looking to end their lease due to the new management.

“Any lease holder’s lease transfers over, therefore anyone with a signed lease is still in a legal binding agreement,” Goodwin explained. “Whatever policies agreed to in that signed agreement will be enforced including cancelation policies.”

In the week under new management, Scott didn’t note any major new changes for residents.

“Management has stepped up a lot, though. It used to take ages for me to get any work done on my apartment. For instance, a chair broke on me – it took them just a day to have it replaced,” Scott said.

Resident Brelin Tilford, who has also been working with the new management to plan a Memorial Day pool party, has also noticed changes.

“Their procedures and rhythm of management has definitely been noticeable,” Tilford said. “I think they have begun a system that seems to be much more efficient than the last management style.”

The property is not currently deemed affiliated with the university. U of L spokesperson Mark Hebert said affiliation agreements do not transfer from one owner to another. “We are open to discussions with the new owners regarding an affiliation agreement,” Hebert said. Hebert was unsure if those discussions have already started.

The sale comes 10 months after The Grove’s rocky opening, where students moved into an incomplete complex. For some residents, the experience set the mood for remainder of their ownership.

“My Grove experience was terrible,” Scott said. “Move in day was a disaster. Nothing was ready. We didn’t even have locks on our main doors.

“It took them all of the winter to finish this place, but where it was constructed so quickly, it’s shoddy. It still isn’t 100 percent yet. Plus people are constantly destroying things in the hallways.”

ACH is a Texas-based company specializing in student housing, controlling 70,000 beds in student housing complexes in the United States.