The Ohio State University is locking in hundreds of off-campus beds as a kind of safety valve for its strained housing system, extending leases on nearby apartment buildings while two north-campus dorm towers get overhauled and a third comes offline entirely. Trustees signed off this month on deals that secure capacity for several upcoming academic years and could stretch even longer, all in the wake of a January plumbing failure at Taylor Tower that forced an emergency shutdown and a last-minute housing shuffle.
Trustees Authorize Bulk Leases and Renewals
At its June 3 meeting, the Board of Trustees approved a one-year bulk lease for all apartments at 1494 N. High Street for the 2027–28 academic year. The board also authorized exercising renewal options on a two-year lease for The Point on Lane at 262–264 West Lane Avenue. Those deals come with multi-year extension options that could keep the university in those buildings through July 2032 at The Point and through July 2036 at 1494 N. High, if Ohio State decides it still needs the beds.
The lease terms, bulk-bed counts, and renewal options are detailed in board meeting materials from The Ohio State University Board of Trustees.
Why the University Says It Needs the Off-Campus Beds
University planning documents describe the leases as a bridge while Taylor and Drackett Towers undergo major mechanical and life-safety upgrades, and Jones Tower is taken out of service as part of the North Towers renovation program. The urgency sharpened in early January, when a significant pipe failure in Taylor Tower flooded multiple floors, triggered an emergency closure, and forced residents into quick relocations.
Students later told reporters that some of the lease and room changes felt abrupt and confusing after StateHouse properties expanded a master-lease arrangement with the university, according to a Taylor Tower FAQ from Ohio State Housing and reporting in The Lantern.
Master Leases Are a Familiar Tool
Ohio State has increasingly leaned on master leases in recent years, treating third-party apartment buildings much like residence halls, with residence-life support and bundled utilities folded into the package. In 2025, the university entered a master-lease partnership with StateHouse Columbus that housed roughly 500 students in StateHouse Lane and StateHouse Norwich, and officials signaled at the time that the setup could be reused when campus housing got tight.
That earlier experiment helps explain why administrators moved quickly after the Taylor Tower disruption to secure more off-campus beds, according to WOSU.
What the Buildings Offer and the Renovation Timeline
Board documents describe the StateHouse Highline building at 1494 N. High as having 144 units and roughly 480 bedrooms that can be configured for double occupancy, and they list The Point on Lane as a multi-bedroom apartment building that Ohio State already leases. Many of the off-campus buildings in the mix advertise full kitchens, in-unit laundry, and ground-floor retail, according to university materials and property listings.
Project schedules filed with trustees show North Towers construction starting in mid-2026 and running with major activity through 2029, with systems and interior finishes slated for replacement over that period, according to The Ohio State University Board of Trustees and listings on Apartments.com.
What Students Can Expect Next
Students displaced by the Taylor Tower closure were offered spots in other university housing or the option to cancel their housing contracts in exchange for reimbursements, according to the university's housing office. Administrators have told trustees and campus media they are trying to keep future disruptions as limited as possible while the multi-year renovation program plays out, even as more dorm floors go under construction and the university leans harder on its off-campus safety net.
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