By JESSICA OROZCO
During times of change, Wymount residents found stability and support from their wards.
Garry Briggs, manager of Student Family Housing, said Wymount wards have played a vital role in helping students move during the renovation of Wymount Terrace. He said the renovation had been exciting for Wymount administration, even though they realized it inconvenienced tenants.
“The wards have been great,” Briggs said.
Tenants, including Emily Horrocks, 21, a senior from Redonodo Beach, Calif., majoring in English, were very pleased with their new apartments, and especially with the help they received from members of the ward.
“We had a lot of support from the wards during moves,” Horrocks said.
The renovation is approaching its final stages. The Administration and the tenants are relieved the renovations are almost finished. The South Wymount Terrace Project was started in April 1998 and is expected to be completed on Dec. 3.
Briggs said tenants were relocated while the apartments were being remodeled. Most of the students were moved to newly renovated apartments, he said. He also said they tried hard not to move students to different wards because they had become very attached to their wards.
Some tenants said this last year has been very inconvenient.
Brenda Brandt, 25, a tenant from Hood River, Ore., said she and her husband had to move twice while she was pregnant. But she said it was definitely worth it, since she likes her new apartment.
Briggs said the renovation project consisted of remodeling the 462 apartments in south Wymount. He said asbestos was formerly used on the carpets, vinyl and ceilings, since the apartments were constructed in the ’60s. Briggs said they contracted Eagle, an outside vendor, to remove the parts that contained asbestos and dispose of them properly.
He said BYU helped to paint, replace kitchen pipes, carpets, vinyl, blinds and stoves after the asbestos was removed.
Briggs said they regularly maintain the apartments by painting about every five to eight years and replacing the carpets and vinyl every seven years.
Briggs said the renovation of the apartments do not have anything to do with the rent increase in September or with the waiting list getting longer. He said more students want to move in because of the low-priced rent.
On an average, tenants live at Wymount for about three to four years, Briggs said.
“We run a big motel — they just stay longer than one night,” he said.
Briggs said the tenants were the main reason for renovating the apartments. “Whatever benefits the students, benefits us. They’re the reason we’re here.”
