Students settle into new Marshall Valley housing

After nearly a year of construction, Lehigh students are settling into the new Marshall Valley Apartments. The 76-unit, 150-bed complex at 117 East Fourth Street opened in August, offering apartment-style living for students hoping to be off-campus. 

The Marshall brand has apartment complexes near several college campuses. After announcing plans for the Marshall Valley in fall 2024, the company began marketing to Lehigh students through social media and on-campus info sessions. 

Students signed their leases in fall 2024 while construction was still in progress. By August, the complex was ready, and the Marshall’s doors officially opened on Aug. 13. 

The building offers a mix of studios and three-bedroom apartments. Shared spaces include a gym, an outdoor patio with a grill and basketball courts.

Eric Clouse, the Marshall Valley’s community manager, is the point of contact for residents’ housing needs. He said he handles the operations, contracts from local vendors, materials in the leasing office and informing students about their finances. 

Clouse said the Marshall’s move-in went smoothly and is noticing students using the building’s amenities. 

“I see the football guys celebrating their wins on our outdoor grill patio which is great,” Clouse says. “I want to keep coming up with fun, innovative ways for students to enjoy the building.” 

Clouse said the biggest challenges throughout the move-in were appliance replacements and delivery issues with vendors. He also said there were some issues with hot water, but he said with new construction there are typically small issues to navigate. 

Wyatt Lenger, ‘27, said he signed a lease early because his other housing options weren’t appealing to him. He said the Marshall Valley seemed safer than a traditional off-campus house, with features like a mobile app to control entry and automatic door locks. 

“When I first started talking to the Marshall staff about units, there was only an elevator shaft built and I was like, ‘There’s no way this is actually going to be built,’” Lenger said. “However, I was still very intrigued.” 

After researching the Marshall’s other properties,  he said he felt more confident the apartments would be finished. A few months before move-in, he toured the building when it was halfway done, and now he shares a two-bedroom unit with a friend. 

Lenger said friends who visit are often surprised by the size of the space and lobby setup. He said his lease runs through the next two years, and he’s thinking about extending it to live in the building when he pursues his master’s program. 

“I kind of can’t believe this was built right at the perfect time that I’m moving out of Lehigh’s housing into off-campus housing,” Lenger said. “It’s really kind of a perfect thing that happened for me.”

Lydia Gatnik, ‘27, said she was late to look for housing but managed to sign her lease in late July, with the apartments opening at the right time for her. 

“I think it’s a great option,” Gatnik said. “I think people were nervous about it because last year it wasn’t done and no one knew about it but it has lived up to what it said it would be and is super nice.” 

Gatnik said she typically leaves the Marshall to see her friends who live on-campus, and there’s less lingering in the Marshall lobby and common areas than in Lehigh’s housing. 

Jack Monti, ‘27, shares a two-bedroom apartment in the Marshall with a friend. He said he wanted to avoid off-campus houses and live somewhere less distracting so he could focus on his studies. 

Monti said he’s found the front desk staff  friendly and helpful. He said his biggest complaint is that there is no parking lot for residents. 

“It’s nice that there’s a lot of athletes living here and people who are oriented toward their studies,” Monti said. “It’s quiet, and I don’t have to worry about being distracted at night. It’s more of my tempo.” 

While he said he was apprehensive about the building being finished on time, he said the lobby and his specific unit looked exactly like the pictures they showed him prior to completion. 

“I was between here and Southside (Commons) and definitively made a decision to live here because it looked too good to be true,” Monti said. “And it turns out it definitely lived up to the hype.”