Joliet Junior College, housing staff work to improve Centennial Commons marketing

JOLIET – Joliet Junior College officials and managers of a student housing complex have renewed efforts to market the property to students, which they hope will mean increased occupancy in the future.

Last year, JJC and owners of Centennial Commons, an apartment complex for JJC students, were at odds over the marketing of the property, which had a declining occupancy rate after college officials put in new restrictions to protect students' privacy.

JJC officials decided to revise the school's policy and provide a list of prospective and attending students' contact information to Centennial Commons management solely for the purposes of marketing and promoting the housing complex, according to a Dec. 15 memo posted on the Electronic Municipal Market Access website.

The college and housing staff have also worked together more to market the college. Information about Centennial Commons was included in the JJC spring 2016 registration guide.

“We’re just really excited the relationship is moving forward in a positive way,” said Jasmin Zelinko, Centennial Commons general manager.

Zelinko said last fall that since the 2014 school year, college officials had not sent a list of student contact information for the number of students whose information Centennial Commons previously received. This made it difficult for housing staff to advertise to enough students and subsequently affected revenue and bond payments.

Difficulties with Centennial Commons receiving student contact information were reported in a March 18, 2015, disclosure posted on EMMA.

The disclosure stated Campus Evolution Villages, which manages Centennial Commons, was unable to market to potential tenants as effectively as in the past and the occupancy rate for the 2014 fall semester was 60 percent, compared to about 80 percent the previous fall semester.

At the March 8 JJC Board of Trustees meeting, Kristin Mulvey, JJC Foundation executive director, thanked Michael Hernandez, the college's marketing and creative services director, and his staff, for working with the housing staff to put information about Centennial Commons in the registration guide.

“I know there has been a huge effort put on by both the college and the housing staff to get the word out to our potential students,” she said at the meeting.

Mulvey said other initiatives that should bring more occupancy to Centennial Commons include allowing the property to accept students who are part of the Military Medical Corpsman to Practical Nurse program as well as attracting more international students.

She told JJC trustees at a Feb. 26 meeting that faculty were informed of a new rent incentives program called ““Fill The Flat,” which will give discounts to students who get a group of four students together to sign a lease for a four-unit apartment.