Two bedroom leases are still available for students to rent during the 2013-14 school year, starting at $1700 per month. The high riser apartments will include contemporary furnishings, walk-in closets, washer, dryer, microwave, dishwater, air conditioning and parking.

East Lansing Planning & Community Development Director Tim Dempsey said the conglomeration of retail and residential use promotes an inviting and engaging downtown environment.

“If you contrast that to what was there before, a two story office building, where, really, you would only go in if you had a specific reason … (this) has a lot more activity … which creates street life,” Dempsey said.

Dempsey said city regulations allow downtown buildings to be built up to 10 stories. The height presents consideration of public safety, in terms of fire safety, but these concerns are easily accounted for by modern building codes, Dempsey said.

City Manager George Lahanas said the mixed use of the building will contribute to a more successful downtown. Hopcat will occupy the space below the apartments, set to open in August as well.

“When you have taller buildings, you have more people; it permits a wider range of business and allows businesses to have more customers,” Lahanas said.

International relations junior Daniel Cooke said he enjoyed his stint at a Cron Management apartment last year. Stonehouse Village apartments was “next to everything that was going on” and Cooke added he could get from his room to his Spanish class in Berkey Hall in three minutes.

On the flip side, Cooke said the thin interior design became an issue when it was time to study.

“If anything was going on outside, it sounded like they were right next to me,” Cooke said.