Imagine walking from your apartment and getting a Frosty and french fries without ever having to leave the building.
That will be a reality for students living in a new five-story apartment complex planned for North High Street that will come accompanied with retail stores and a Wendy’s.
The View on High, to be located between Woodruff Avenue and 18th Street, is a project from JSDI Celmark, Ltd., will feature 64 studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments aimed at upperclassman Ohio State students, faculty and staff.
The apartments are expected to provide privacy and luxury with large kitchens, attached bathrooms, high-speed Internet and flat-screen TVs.
“We’re really focusing on the millennium generation and what their needs are in apartments,” said Mike Balakrishnan, one of the founders and principals of JSDI Celmark, Ltd.
Set to open Fall Semester 2014, The View on High will be located at 2020 N. High St., where a Wendy’s currently stands.
However, the Wendy’s is not going to disappear with the new development – the fast-food restaurant will be completely redesigned for the complex.
In addition to Wendy’s, the ground floor will also be occupied by several retail shops.
Jerry Solove, owner of Solove Real Estate and co-founder and principal of JSDI Celmark, Ltd. and an OSU alumnus, said they have received a lot of interest in the retail space, but it is too early in the planning stages to know who will take it.
Despite the luxurious atmosphere the complex aims to deliver, one student said the cost of living there is more important.
“I think it would be beneficial if it was affordable,” said Natalie Thompson, a fourth-year in human nutrition. “Yeah there’s flat screen TVs, but I have my own TV.”
According to The Columbus Dispatch, rent has not been determined but is expected to be more than $700, and one-bedroom units could be more than $1,000 per month.
Solove and Balakrishnan said the location near campus will be a draw to potential tenants.
“Our No. 1 amenity is that we will be in immediate walking distance to the Ohio State University,” Solove said.
Julie Merry, a second-year in international studies, said the location on High Street is convenient and also seems safer than other availabilities.
“Since you’re so close to High Street you’re pretty safe … and you’re central,” Merry said.
Ground-level and underground parking is expected to be available for residents.
The development is a project of JSDI Celmark, Ltd., a joint venture of Balakrishnan and Solove and their companies, Celmark Development Group and Solove Real Estate.
Celmark Development Group has provided students with other housing options such as The Summit on 1895 Summit St. and East Village on 266 Chittenden Ave.
The project still must undergo a final approval from the University Area Review Board in a review on March 28.
The project is awaiting final approval from the board before decisions such as design, rent structure and rental rates can be determined.
Cost of construction will also be determined after the board review, and construction is expected to begin sometime this summer.
JSDI Celmark, Ltd. cannot release the price of the property, Solove said.
“We’re just very (excited) to be bringing this project forward, it’s a tremendous site. I think that upperclassmen and grad students will thoroughly enjoy it,” Solove said.