Sonoma State University’s $42 million investment in faculty housing has backfired.
Marina Crossing, a 90-unit apartment complex in Petaluma, was meant to attract and retain faculty. But high market-rate rents, ranging from $1,900 to $3,500, have kept SSU employees away. Now, with less than 20% of units occupied by faculty and the university facing a $24 million deficit, the project is under scrutiny.
SSU is locked into debt on the complex until 2049, making it a costly reminder of a plan gone wrong.
