Ohio Staters, at 060 N. High St., will be demolished and possibly replaced with a new multi-use building. Credt: Davis Beatty | Managing Campus Editor
Demolitions and renovations will continue to be seen throughout the upcoming years in the Ohio State community to make way for expanded apartment living, and the Ohio Stater apartments is on that demolition list.
In a University Impact District Review Board meeting Thursday, a proposal for a new seven story mixed-use building set to be built at 2060 N. High St. — which replaces the apartment building, as well as neighboring establishments, was reviewed.
The Ohio Stater confirmed on its website that the apartments will be closing in October 2026 for redevelopment.
“It is with a heavy heart that The Ohio Stater will be closing its doors in October 2026 for redevelopment,” the company said. “Our team has loved helping our residents have a place to call home over so many years.”
The site to be demolished includes the entire block at the northeast corner of North High Street and East Woodruff Avenue, west of Tuller Street and south of Frambes Avenue, according to the presentation.
However, this excludes Donatos Pizza — located at 2084 N. High St. — and PJ’s Grill — located at 15 E. Frambes Ave. — the presentation said.
The new building is set to include 9,000-square-feet of space for businesses, 270 apartments, including 865 bedrooms, and 260 underground and ground floor parking spaces, according to the proposal, which was presented to the board by Stephanie Kensler of the Columbus’ development planning division.
The business proposal was submitted by Francisco Rios of RPM Student Living. In 2024, the business reported owning over 226,000 units and had an owned portfolio of $3 billion, according to its website.
The business expects lots of foot traffic and activity on that corner.
“We are still working through the exact programming of the amenity spaces and the retail, and it might adjust and tweak a little bit, but that entire zone along North High [Street] is going to be highly transparent and highly active,” said Muhammad Mosen at the meeting. He is a representative from RPM Student Living.
Following the pitch, Ryan Szymanski, board member and representative of the Columbus Apartment Association, said he was concerned with the proposed building’s ability to maintain accessibility.
“I think you have a little bit of a conundrum here,” Szymanski said. “Density at Ohio State — great. The taller the better, in some ways. I think your conundrum here is trying to get the density you want, staying within wood construction, and thus presenting this building that is very closed off, three courtyards, and very much feels like a fortress.”
Szymanski also said compared to other new-age establishments he has worked on within the Ohio State community, the parking ratio for the proposed building is low.
In response, Mosen said the sidewalk space could be widened in front of the building to broaden opportunities for food and beverage tenants to lease spaces on the property, as well as to include more outdoor seating options for the public.
Regarding parking concerns, Mosen said even with efforts to shield parking spaces from the public’s field of vision, it can still appear as a sort of “dead space.”
“It may be actually better to conceal some of that parking,” Mosen said. “Maybe that gives us a great canvas for some sort of a mural wall along the sidewalk, or some sort of articulated brick detailing.”
Mosen did not comment on the low ratio of parking spaces to available units.
Emma Parker, board member and small business owner, also expressed her concerns with the proposal, and said there should be focus on already-established space.
“Having a space on High Street is a dream of any small business owner. Having a space that has character and adds a little bit of uniqueness to what you’re trying to say is really nice.” Parker said. “If we could figure out a way to break it up to make sure local business can be there, that would be a great addition.”
In a follow up, Mosen said the idea of incorporating murals on the sides of the building could feature the work of local artists — speaking to their efforts to provide small businesses with equal opportunities.
The proposal did not indicate a start date for the demolition project.
The Ohio Stater property at 2060 N. High St. is owned by Inn Town Holdings III LLC, according to the website.
The Ohio Stater will continue to extend its leasing through the summer months of 2026. For more information regarding leasing or sublets, visit its website.
