By Daniel Wilson

September 12, 2024

Sacramento State’s new apartment building for incoming faculty and staff is officially operational.

Around 45 members of the campus community gathered on Sept. 11 to celebrate the grand opening of Nine Ten Place, located across the Guy West Bridge just steps from campus.

The event, which included speakers, refreshments and a tour of a two-bedroom apartment, highlighted how the facility will help new employees transition to the Sacramento region while they seek more permanent housing.

“When we think about all the investments that we do in our campus, too often we don't think about how we're investing in the very people who make the actual operation go, and so that's what Nine Ten Place represents,” said Sac State President Luke Wood.

“It's a beautiful housing facility for our faculty and staff that's just right across the bridge from Sacramento State. During the recruitment process, when faculty and staff are deciding whether they want to go to Sac State, they’ll know we're investing in them as part of understanding that they are the core element of our ecosystem.”

The apartment building, the first of its kind at Sac State, highlights the University’s commitment to its workforce and to increasing its competitiveness in the job market. Its proximity to campus and affordability – units are offered at 10% below market rate – are aimed at reducing the cost of living, which can hurt the University’s efforts to recruit a more diverse pool of highly qualified employees.

John Melikian, executive director of Sac State’s business auxiliary University Enterprises, Inc. (UEI), praised the building’s opening.

“It's an amazing opportunity to provide for a unique work-life balance, and it's a way for UEI to continue to show its commitment to the University by dedicating substantial resources and effort to a development like this,” said Melikian. “It's a multi-year investment of time to make something like this happen, so to actually be at this point in time when we're opening the doors with residents inside feels good.”

Constructing housing for new employees has been a longtime University goal. The project began in 2017, when then-UEI Executive Director Jim Reinhart, then-President Robert S. Nelsen, and UEI’s Board of Directors began discussing the need for faculty and staff housing.

UEI purchased the building’s 1.06-acre lot for $1.9 million in 2018. The $17 million construction was funded by state revenue bonds through the CSU Chancellor’s Office as well as UEI reserve funds.

“I feel a good sense of accomplishment. It was a good team effort, and John (Melikian) got it over the finish line,” said Reinhart, who retired in 2023 but returned to attend the grand opening. “It's a good project, and it should serve Sac State for a long, long time.”

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Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Carlos Nevarez said the building will allow residents to have a stronger connection to the campus community. A quick commute to campus means more opportunities to engage with students, participate in campus events and collaborate with colleagues.

“There's not too many institutions that actually offer housing for staff and faculty, and we’re doing that because we understand they’re our greatest assets,” Nevarez said. “Nine Ten Place is more than just a housing project. It is a testament of our values, a testament of our commitment to excellence, and a bold step towards a more vibrant, diverse and collaborative future for our University.”

The three-story building includes 16 one-bedroom and 14 two-bedroom modern units with wood floors, large windows and open floorplans. Each apartment is equipped with a washer, dryer and major appliances. Other building amenities include 50 parking spaces, bike racks, and a mailroom. Extra storage is offered for a fee.

“We are really grateful that we have this place here because it is so close to campus, and it was nice to move into a welcoming place.” -- Vanessa Guzman, new Sac State professor and Nine Ten Place resident

Residents, some of whom began moving in this August, can lease units for six months to a year, with the option of leasing for an additional year.

About half of the building’s units are occupied. One of them is now home to Vanessa Guzman, a new assistant professor of Ethnic Studies in the Chicanx/Latinx Studies program who moved from Southern California with her partner and their 1-year-old daughter.

Not having to worry about housing, she said, makes the challenge of relocating and starting a new job much easier.

“We are really grateful that we have this place here because it is so close to campus, and it was nice to move into a welcoming place,” Guzman said. “It kind of gives me a little bit more time to spend with (my daughter). When I’m done with class or my meetings or office hours, I can come back pretty quickly across the bridge and be with the baby and not have to worry about long commute times.”

Guzman said she and her partner like the spacious bathrooms and bedrooms as well as the proximity to parks, restaurants and shopping. Living in a building where she can interact with her work colleagues and collaborate on projects is an added benefit.

“We really like the place. It's really nice inside,” she said. “Something I really like is the large windows. We have a really nice view. We can see the bridge from our window.”