Student cooperative housing is well on its way to becoming a reality at Ohio State, said a student member of the Campus Partners Board of Trustees.Shane Hankins, a pre-law sophomore, said as long as there is interest in a co-op program from about 20 students, it will be running next fall.’The next few weeks are a really big deal,’ he said. ‘We have to get students involved right now.’Advertised as ‘the most exciting new housing alternative at OSU,’ Hankins said. The campus cooperative will be created to give students a housing option that is cheaper and allows them to have more control over their property, he said.’This is also one way to get connected to the university community and it can really compliment the college experience,’ Hankins said.Buckeye Co-operative is the company that will purchase and run the house.The company is looking to buy an old fraternity house that went up for sale at 237 E. 17th Ave.Hankins said Campus Partners will most likely purchase the property and Buckeye Co-operative would use a ‘lease-to-buy type agreement’ to eventually take ownership of the house.The students who move into the house would all be co-owners, providing payments to cover the lease, utilities, and maintenance.Hankins said each member of the house would also take on additional duties such as cleaning, repairing, painting, and other small chores. Also, house members will take turns preparing one meal a day to feed the entire house.The Buckeye Co-operative house would be co-ed with six single rooms and seven doubles. Rent prices each month would be between $195 and $225 plus food, he said.The cooperative housing idea was introduced in the fall by a member of the OSU Board of Trustees, said Steve Sterrett, director of community relations for Campus Partners. Then several students, including Hankins, decided to take on the project.’Campus Partners decided if students wanted to run with the ideas, we would encourage them,’ Sterrett said.Partners helped send three students to a cooperative housing conference in Ann Arbor, Mich. last fall to get ideas about running a cooperative house.Sterrett said more students need to show an interest in living in the house so the project can go through to completion.Hankins said there will be an information session and open house Feb. 10 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.