Cal Poly is building 33 faculty and staff housing units at the corner of Slack Street and Grand Avenue, with the first units expected to be completed by fall 2025.
The project, called Vista Meadows, aims to improve access to employee housing and assist the university in hiring and retaining faculty and staff, according to University Spokesperson Aaron Lambert.
Each unit will feature a two-car garage, fully equipped kitchens, a living area and energy-saving appliances, according to the project website. Prices are planned to be below market value but are still being finalized, Lambert said.
“I don’t think that we are getting the best faculty that we could because housing prices are so large,” said computer science professor John Clements.
Construction began in summer 2024 in partnership with Cal Poly Partners and Coastal Community Builders, Lambert said. All faculty and staff will be eligible to live in the new units once completed.
Access to affordable housing has been a roadblock for staff recruitment and retainment at Cal Poly, Lambert said. The university currently offers 69 homes at Bella Montana and 120 apartments at Harvest Lofts for faculty and staff.
Clements said he appreciates Cal Poly’s efforts to create attainable staff housing through this project.
“Given what I know about [Vista Meadows], there are certainly many circumstances under which I would live in it, yes,” Clements said. “It seems perfectly nice. I think the location is spectacular. I think if you were to live there, you would have a zero-minute commute.”
Construction prompts horse relocation to Equine Center
Before construction began on Vista Meadows, horses occupied the field where the housing is now being built. To accommodate the construction, they were relocated in June 2024 to the Oppenheimer Family Equine Center, more than a mile north of the site.
Animal science senior Lauren Loo said the transition was a positive change for the horses, citing past safety concerns.
“I think we all saw what happened where people were coming in and trying to touch the horses when they are not supposed to,” Loo said. “[The horses] will probably like it more up here, too.”
At the Equine Center, manager Irini Pateras and student employees monitor the horses’ health, clean their pens and feed them, according to AnnMarie Cornejo, director of communications for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.
Loo said she has not noticed an increase in traffic to the Equine Center following the horse relocation, noting that most people visit the center only for classes or clubs.
However, the move made the horses less accessible to students outside of the animal science major, animal science senior Isa Ionazzi said.
For electrical engineering junior Frank Valdovinos, the change was disappointing.
“When you are coming in, you see horses so they just stood out,” Valdovinos said. “As a freshman, I always spent a lot of time on Grand Avenue, so it kind of fit the theme of Cal Poly.”