Beginning in 2010, Ohio State students will have a new off-campus rental housing option.

Construction is underway on the $12 million East Village Complex on Chittenden Avenue between Summit Street and Fourth Street. The 82-unit complex is being completed by Hanks Holdings, Celmark Development and ZBP Properties.

Legacy Management, the realty company that will be leasing the East Village apartments, announced that construction will be completed in two phases, with 48 flats that will be available for next academec year, and 34 townhouses to be completed in 2011.

Each apartment and townhouse will include a 42-inch flat-screen television, cable and wireless Internet, a washer and dryer, off-street parking and security.

“We started thinking three years ago and knew we wanted to work on student housing,” said Tim Welsh, a lead architect for the East Village project. “We found a good geographic location and wanted to do something different for students [in the area].”

Although the area east of campus has a reputation for higher crime rates, the East Village team promises a new level of security.

“We feel that the area has become a lot safer because of the proximity of the [Moody Hall Neighborhood Policing Center on 11th Avenue],” said Elizabeth Buchenroth, a marketing manager for ZBP Properties. “We have seen a revitalization of this area in the past two years. It is our hope that this project will bring students and new developments to the area.”

The project is based on Manhattan’s East Village, which mixes modern architecture with “green” building plans. The construction calls for the use of recycled building materials, and the final product will include high-efficiency appliances and a recycling program.

The price tag for an apartment in the new complex will be approximately $550 per bedroom, including utilities and amenities.

JC Hanks, a developer for the project, says he is willing to listen to what students want from their homes.

“We are finding that students want luxury. After the complex is built, we will ask the students what they want added to the Village and do our best to accommodate the needs of the residents,” he said.

Developers say they hope to collaborate with nearby businesses and build a retail center in the apartment building.