Student apartments set for fall groundbreaking

LANCASTER – Planning for the new student apartment building being developed across Granville Pike from Ohio University-Lancaster really started moving about three weeks ago.

Kyle Bach, president and CEO of Annex Student Living, the builders of the proposed property, said the firm had received about 700 responses from students attending the campus.

“That’s about the largest response we’ve gotten from a student group that size in any of our projects,” Bach said.

It was after that response that the company started actively moving forward with more concrete plans in putting the project together.

The Lancaster Board of Zoning Appeals last week gave its permission to a special exemption variance request by Annex Student Living at 1531 Lancaster-Newark Road (Granville Pike) to allow apartments on the property.

That was the first step needed in the building process, said Jonathon Clark, who represents Annex Student Living locally.

Bach said the next step is to pull together focus groups using consultants with students who had responded to the surveys earlier.

“We want to find out what they would like to see in a campus-centered student environment, like what type of amenities they would like to see, would they like roommates or live alone, and what type of atmosphere they are looking for,” Bach said.

The proposed building, according to documents submitted to the Board of Zoning Appeals, includes three stories with 20 four-bedroom units and 28 two-bedroom units for a total of 136 beds. It also would include 120 parking spaces and five handicapped parking spaces. The building would be 16,642 square feet and would include a clubhouse on the first floor.

Bach said that could vary, depending on the responses from the focus groups.

“Right now, we are looking at a $5 million investment into the community,” Bach said.

Although the apartments will be located across the street from the campus, the university has no financial obligation in connection with the Annex Student Living project. No campus or university money is involved.

Bach said that, once the focus group information is back and the building is designed, the company plans to push ahead for construction.

Bach said the company hopes to have the groundbreaking in September.

“It takes about eight or nine months to complete a project this size,” Bach said.

The apartments then would be available to students for the fall classes in 2016.

cburnett@lancastereaglegazette.com

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Twitter: @CarlBurnettJr