Housing complex makes ties with campus organizations
Blue Square, the first mixed-use luxury student housing development in Logan, is teaming up with ASUSU to host university events this year, starting with Thursday’s pre-game football tailgate.
The tailgate will take place on 800 East this year instead of 1000 North, where it has been held in previous years. It was moved for the safety of pedestrians crossing 800 East to go to games, said Karson Kalian, ASUSU athletics vice president.
“Blue Square wants to be an area of student life,” Kalian said.
When Blue Square approached ASUSU about holding events during the tailgate in their parking lot, the idea fit, he said. Blue Square is located across the street from Romney Stadium.
“We’ve teamed up in the fact that we’re all in the same area,” Kalien said.
Chase Casillas, a liberal arts major and social media manager for Blue Square, said he hopes the development, with its shops, apartments and a small entertainment venue, becomes a community gathering place.
“We want something where people before the game can come over and grab something, or faculty during lunch can drive down here,” Casillas said.
In addition to the vendors renting spaces in the stadium parking lot and USU sponsors setting up booths on the road itself, the development is bringing in the radio station VFX and food vendors, Kalian said.
One of the three buildings at Blue Square is finished and renting to tenants. The food shops planned for the main floor of the buildings are empty while the developers negotiate with the retailers who will rent space there, Casillas said.
Roberto’s Taco Shop is the only retailer the developers can publicly release at this time, Casillas said. Other shops will include a sandwich place, an Asian restaurant, a sit down restaurant and a coffee shop doubling as a convenience store. There will also be a small stage venue, he said.
Kalian said the university is working with Blue Square to possibly host other events at the venue, such as watching away games. Larger events will continue to be on campus, but smaller ones, like Poetry and a Beverage, could move to Blue Square from time to time, he said.
The apartment complex was the idea of former Aggie starting quarterback David Miller. According to an interview in the July USU alumni newsletter, Miller teamed up with two other former Aggies who now work in real estate to see the development through.
“The developers, they went to Utah State and they came back here, and they said the housing here at Utah State looks the same here as it did twenty-five years ago,” said Zach Larsen, who does marketing for Blue Square.
Casillas said as a student, he experienced housing that was ideal. The idea of Blue Square is to build a community where people can relax and have fun, he said.
All amenities, including internet, cable TV and utilities are built into one cost, Larsen said. According to prices provided on Blue Square’s website, living there costs $3,100 to $6,000 for a school year.
Casillas said while some have expressed concern at the high cost, the price is comparable to other places he has lived.
“I was paying about $350 a month, and on top of that splitting cable and internet, utilities, heating, all that, it came out to a really good amount of about $450 sometimes,” Casillas said.
“I think people get the wrong perception when they see the price, but we try to convey everything that you’re going to pay for is built into that price,” Larsen said.
Casillas said Blue Square is about more than just an apartment complex.
“You get the lifestyle that comes with it too,” Casillas said.
– la.stewart65@aggiemail.usu.edu