DADE CITY, Fla. -- Saint Leo University plans to lease all 176 units in the nearby Sweetwater apartment complex to be used as residence halls this coming fall. It's space school officials said is much needed.

"We were actually out of housing space this time around. We had a record incoming class, and we anticipate the same this coming year," said Saint Leo University Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Jen Shaw. "We're actually pretty excited about this because we're going to do something pretty unique."

Shaw said the housing will be for upperclassmen and graduate students, who are usually focused on career development at that point in their education. Career services staff will be on site to help students work on skills like negotiating salaries to the ins and outs of job benefits.

"The hard part is that, unfortunately, these residents are being impacted," Shaw said of the people already living at Sweetwater.

Leases won't be renewed

Andre Gilbert, who's lived at Sweetwater since he was a Saint Leo student six years ago, said he found out about the plan earlier this month. He said management asked he and his wife to come to the main office, then told them their lease would not be renewed when it ends up in July.

"We're trying to figure out how all this happened and why the residents in the community weren't involved in the process," Gilbert said. 

"A lot of the conversation was about current residents and are there things that we can do to make sure this is done in the kindest way possible?" Shaw said.

According to Gilbert, management did offer a $500 first month discount on rent and a waiver of application fees if his family moved into another property owned by the same company, but he said the nearest one is more than half an hour away and $300 more each month in rent.

"That makes it really difficult for us, and that's not something that we have planned or prepared for this year. If we had a little bit more time, it would've helped," said Gilbert.

Gilbert questioned why the school didn't build new dorms on campus. Shaw said that's a process that takes two years -- time Saint Leo didn't have with its growing student body. She said it is an option that will likely be explored in the future.

"We're actually talking about starting now because in about two years, even with Sweetwater, we'll be out of space again," said Shaw.

Shaw also said giving current residents the option to stay wouldn't have worked because the school is adding amenities to the complex such as 24/7 security and shuttle service to the school that non-students might not have wanted to pay for.

She also said people living at Sweetwater in the future will be subject to school rules, like requiring guests to be escorted on property and having a staff member living in each building.

"I think it would've been nice and courteous to take us into consideration or even give us more notice so that it could've been a better transition, or at least give us an opportunity to also negotiate," said Gilbert.

"I wish the very best for them, and I hope that whatever place they live next is even more special," Shaw said of current residents.

Gilbert said he and his family are in the process of searching for a new place to live. Shaw said Saint Leo moves onto the property August 1.