Published Friday, August 2, 2013 at 9:41 am

By Mark S. Kenna

July 31, 2013. Delays in construction of the Cottages of Boone development off Poplar Grove South Road are causing management to place about 360 future tenants in hotel rooms temporarily.

“I had no idea until a week ago. We were assuming our place was done,” said Drew Dove, a sophomore at Appalachian State University who has already signed a lease for the 2013-14 year. “I did not know until July 25.”

Dove added that when he spoke with the Cottages of Boone on the phone earlier this week the representative informed him that his unit had “not been started yet.”

Several tenants have been expressing their concern and outrage on the Cottages of Boone Facebook page. Tenants who signed the lease back when the development was on schedule for the fall semester are now bound by the lease.

The Cottages gave the tenants the option to pay rent for the first month, live in a hotel room for a minimum of 30 days and be supplemented with a $15 per day credit. Or they can choose to live elsewhere and move in once the unit is finished. The Cottages has already made plans to put tenants in the Holiday Inn Express and Fairfield Inn off U.S. 321 and also the Comfort Suites off N.C. 105.

Tenants would be living “double occupancy” in the hotel rooms, a clerk from the Cottages said.

In June, Jen Wilson, VP of marketing and leasing for the Cottages said that one lodge-style unit that is supposed to house approximately 40 residences would be “delayed for a short period of time.”

As of Wednesday, Wilson hasn’t responded to any questions concerning the development delays.

The development will have 894 beds, offered in three-, four- or five-bedroom cottages, as well as in one-, three- or four-bedroom lodge apartments. There are also plans for a swimming pool and fitness center at the Cottages of Boone.

The Cottages, when finished, could be the largest student housing community in Watauga County.

The Cottages of Boone leasing office is directly beside Appalachian State campus at 969 Rivers Street.

For more information about CCC, visit http://capstone-dev.com/collegiate_communities