Plans to renovate Aiken Village have been delayed as Mississippi State University decides how to efficiently reconstruct the site in a way that best serves students. Aiken Village is now scheduled to open in fall 2014.
Bill Kibler, vice president for student affairs, said MSU wants to make sure the project is done right and a quality unit is built, even if that takes more time.
“The demolition of the current set of apartments has turned out to be more complicated than we thought it was going to be,” he said.
Kibler said MSU is currently accepting bids from a number of demolition contractors and the final bid will be taken on Thursday. From there, MSU will move to begin the process of tearing down the structure and transporting the material containing asbestos to a location approved by the federal government, a task that has proven to be costly, he said. This spring, proposals and plans should be finalized and rental prices and structure layout are a few of the main concerns being discussed.
“We cannot afford to price Aiken Village above what an average student can pay,” he said. Although the rent price will be higher, so will the quality of the complex. “When it’s finished this will be an apartment complex that Mississippi State is proud of. There will be no comparison between the old Aiken Village and the new site.” 
Kibler said the new complex will be a new era for Aiken Village residents, even though some of those who grew to love it will be finished with their schooling by that time. Residents were notified via email and had a total of 16 months to make arrangements to find new housing, and forums were held with residents to discuss their concerns with the project.
“Our goal was to make this inconvenience as seamless and easy as possible,” he said. “We wanted to make sure everyone found out at the same time. It’s a permanent loss of something (the residents) liked.”
Kibler said the majority of the residents were on schedule to graduate before the renovations began anyway and that a website was established for them that contained all available information on places to live in Starkville. He added that the Baptist Student Union offered free services to help any residents with the moving process.
Rhett Hobart, Student Association president, said that while the delay has caused some inconvenience for residents, the end result will be worth it.
“We think the new unit is a state-of-the-art facility,” he said. “The benefit of the wait is a better facility long term.”
 
Hobart said he is working to ensure the rental prices of the apartments are appropriate and something students can afford.
“This facility will be one of a kind in the SEC,” he said.
Nash Mahmoud, a former resident of Aiken Village, expressed disappointment in how the evacuation of the property was handled but added a renovation of the complex was needed and overdue.
Mahmoud, education doctoral student in software engineering and artificial intelligence, said the infrastructure of the complex was in definite need of remodeling. However, Mahmoud said the benefits of the place outweighed any negativity about it. It was safe, very quiet and conveniently close to campus. The complex was especially nice for international students who did not have vehicles.
“All international students share a connection. (Aiken Village) was our community,” he said.
After receiving the email notification in August 2010, Mahmoud said he emailed the vice president of student affairs, as well as the Student Association president at the time. The meetings did not offer much help and the attitudes from officials were indifferent, he said.
“It was the first time in four years I felt like MSU let me down,” Mahmoud said.  “It was the first time we felt like foreigners instead of MSU students.”
Mahmoud said it is painful because now he does not get to see his friends very often who lived in the complex, adding that the move proved to be a financial burden for most of the residents who did not own a car and were forced to purchase vehicles after the move. However, Mahmoud said he is glad they are renovating the complex and future international students will be able to live there.
“It’s more than housing for international students. Aiken Village is our thing,” Mahmoud said.