One piece of context that people might not realize: the student housing stock around UCSB is extremely limited. I've heard stories about students living in Ventura (40 minutes away by car), some students (who presumably are guaranteed housing) have been placed in hotels[1], and students living out of cars[2]. So this may be the reason that administrators feel pressured to accept this building.
Still taking $200 million dollars from an eccentric billionaire to build his ideal building is a bit of a strange decision to me.
I lived both in my car and in Carpinteria when I was a grad student there, so I'm 1.5 for 3 on your list and I wouldn't touch this place. What happened to the San Clemente apartments on El Camino?
the ventura example seems extremely unlikely to be 100% supply or cost related. housing is limited but there’s cheaper places than ventura that are much closer
Still taking $200 million dollars from an eccentric billionaire to build his ideal building is a bit of a strange decision to me.
[1] https://old.reddit.com/r/UCSantaBarbara/comments/pfvasz/hous...
[2] https://old.reddit.com/r/UCSantaBarbara/comments/p91gjl/how_...