An apartment being constructed is set to dwarf the homes of students living in its shadow.

Spring Street is facing new construction, only this time it is not on the sidewalk. In the middle of a community full of students and the old houses they live in, a high-rise apartment complex is being built.

The apartment’s construction is part of a growing trend in Madison to raze areas of houses and replace them with high-rise multi-bedroom apartments.

The complex on the corner of Randall and Spring will have 57 apartments that will be marketed for student housing. They are being built by Stevens Construction Corporation and will be managed by Colonial Management.

The construction started about three weeks ago and has left some Spring Street residents unhappy.

“It is ridiculous; I should not be woken up at 7 a.m. every morning,” said University of Wisconsin student Kevin Krause, who lives next door to the construction.

The apartments are taking up a large space on the block; three houses were torn down to make room for them. Krause said he doesn’t know much about the apartments, but he has heard they are supposed to be efficiencies that will cost about $700 a month to rent.

Jerry Henrich, an employee from Stevens Construction Corporation, said the apartments will be called Park Terrace West and are slated to be done by Aug. 1, 2003. Henrich also said they will most likely be starting work at 7 a.m. every morning, unless it is too dark.

“The city ordinance says work can start at 7 a.m., and we haven’t received any complaints about noise yet,” he said.

Ald. Tim Bruer, District 14, is hopeful the construction of apartments in student areas can help students find reasonably priced apartments in downtown areas.

Bruer is concerned the construction of so-called “luxury” apartment high-rises and condominium development downtown are helping to further fortify the area closest to State Street as one reserved chiefly for wealthy professionals and students from wealthier families.

As a result, Bruer said, students will continue to retreat from the State Street and Capitol areas and move closer to Regent and Park Streets, the “outer ring” of the campus area where students will find more reasonable prices.

“The continued construction of upper-end apartments downtown could have a tremendous adverse impact on struggling students,” Bruer said.