The Nest Iowa City apartment building is delaying construction until early September, leaving hundreds of the complex’s residents without housing.

The 11-story apartment complex, located on 123 E. College Street, started construction with the Minnesota-based Tailwind Group a few months after approval from the City of Iowa City in January 2021.

The lease start date for residents was anticipated to begin on Aug. 19, two days before University of Iowa classes started. Several last-minute issues related to supplies occurred pushing back the move-in date by 13 days.

Brandon Smith, the Tailwind Group’s vice president of operations and development, wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan that construction issues prevented residents from being able to move into the building in August.

“On Aug. 10, our general contracting partner informed us that due to construction delays, this move-in date would not be possible,” he wrote. “Our development team and general contractor have been battling supply chain issues, labor shortages, and material shortages throughout the duration of construction.”

Map by Eleanor Hildebrandt/The Daily Iowan

Smith wrote the delay in occupying the building was not known until days before the original move in-date.

“Up until Aug. 10, we were still confident we could get a Certificate of Occupancy for the 19th,” Smith wrote.

To assist future residents with living arrangements until Sept. 2, The Nest has two options available to leasers, Smith wrote.

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The first option is staying in one of four downtown hotels: the Graduate Iowa City, hotelVetro, Hotel Chauncey, or Element Iowa City.

The Hotel Chauncey did not respond to requests for comment and the hotelVetro declined to comment on the situation.

The Nest organization is paying entirely for the stay and any associated fees, Smith wrote. In addition, residents’ rent will be reduced on a per-day basis until move-in. If the hotel the resident is staying in does not have a functional kitchen, The Nest is also providing a daily food and drink stipend.

The second option for people is to stay with family or friends until move-in. If a resident chooses this option, they will still be given a daily rent equivalent to a hotel stay, he wrote.

Some UI students have already moved into the provided hotels, including third-year student Benjamin Olson. Olson said there are struggles that have come with this delay and moving into his hotel room.

“Obviously, it is a big push back and it really sucks that they're throwing us in the hotel for about a month,” Olson said. “But it's just really hard because you can't take anything else besides your clothes to a hotel, so you're pretty much just stuck with your clothes, and then you're also away from your roommates who you're with.”

Olson added that it is difficult to move into an apartment while classes are in session.

“I think the big thing for me is just when we have to actually move into our apartment. It's going to be in the middle of probably midterms because it's like late September or early October,” Olson said. “So, I'm sure we'll be busy with school and I'm going to have to go back, grab all my stuff, and then move it all in, and that's probably going to take a whole weekend or a couple days at least.”