The Domain in College Park is now completely full. Photo taken before the apartment building’s opening.

On June 28, the first residents moved into Domain College Park, the city’s latest luxury apartment complex. But with 23 percent of rooms filled, the building hasn’t attracted the level of interest management was hoping for, and some students said the price may be a factor.

Domain promises potential residents granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and 24-hour concierge service for a special leasing offer of $1,417 per month for a single-bedroom apartment or $2,320 for a two-bedroom apartment, said marketing associate intern Jordan Kovalsky.

“If your average consumer understands the cost with the lifestyle the Domain presents, then they agree with the price,” said Domain community director Tommy Skordas. He said he has not seen price to be a deterrent.

So far, undergraduate students, graduate students, professors and people commuting to other jobs in Baltimore or Washington have signed leases, Kovalsky said.

Kovalsky said Domain’s selling point is its commitment to service, and that’s why the units are well worth the money.

“We are always hoping to get more units filled, but right now we are feeling confident in the number we have full,” said Nick Duckwall, development sales director. “We realize it is hard for people to make a commitment with the construction still going on.”

But senior behavioral and community health major Jamie Lee said most college students don’t have that kind of money.

“My parents pay $801 a month for me to live in Commons, and there is no way they would ever pay over $1,000, no matter what amenities are available,” Lee said. Students might choose Domain if its prices were similar to other housing options, he said.

Other nearby options offer luxury at lower prices, such as Mazza Grandmarc, which charges rent starting at $995 per person for a two-bedroom apartment. While utilities are included in these prices, the Domain website doesn’t specify whether utilities are included there.

“I love living at the Varsity; it is like living in a hotel,” said Bari Turkheimer, a sophomore psychology major. “Its location is better than the Domain’s because it is on Route 1, but it’s also just a bridge away from classes.”

And the price is as much a deterrent for graduate students as it is for undergraduates, said doctoral candidate Bonnie Brett.

“I don’t think any graduate student that doesn’t have another outside source of money could afford to live at the Domain,” Brett said. She said she and her colleagues live in off-campus houses to save money.

Construction won’t completely finish until March 2014, but Duckwall said he is already optimistic about Domain’s next few move-in dates, scheduled for July 30 and August 24.

“We look to be a staple in the community in terms of fitting in with the university, fitting in with the city of College Park,” Skordas said.

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