What to know about apartment rezoning project planned near Columbus State University
An off-campus student housing complex in Columbus is expanding.
University Crossing Apartments, 4226 University Avenue, is expanding near Gentian Boulevard, according to a rezoning application obtained by the Ledger-Enquirer. The new apartments will be at 3518 Gentian Boulevard, according to documents attached to the application.
“With the leadership of not only the college itself, but the state and how they have championed higher learning, we feel like it’s a great partnership,” Kahuna Investments CEO Corey Peterson told the Ledger-Enquirer.
The applicant listed is titled UV (University Village) Phase 2 LLC, operating under Kahuna Investments, an apartment acquisition company based out of Arizona.
The expansion is awaiting city approval, according to Moon, Meeks & Associates Vice President of Engineering Anthony Slaughter.
The plans have been designed and the new apartment buildings will “pretty much match the existing buildings,” Slaughter told the Ledger-Enquirer.
According to Peterson, the expansion will include around 200 beds, bringing the total property investment to $12 million.
The expansion classifies as a major rezoning. That’s because it includes, among other things, more than 100 dwelling units or more than 100,000 square feet of gross floor area in office use.
University Crossing offers two-bedroom suites, rented by room or by the entire apartment, with each bedroom coming with its own private bathroom. All suite bedrooms are furnished with a bed, dresser, desk and chair.
Suites also include a kitchen, washer and dryer.
Rent for these two-bedroom apartments is $1,380 per month, with a deposit starting at $600.
Columbus State’s enrollment soared despite the COVID-19 pandemic, giving the investment company another reason to expand.
CSU had 3,967 students enrolled for the summer 2020 semester as of June 26, 2020, the most since 2011, according to the university. That’s an increase of 11.3% from last summer.
Columbus State’s fall 2020 enrollment increased, too: The school announced that over 8,370 students were enrolled in fall semester classes, a 6.3% increase from fall 2019’s figures.
“We like the area, we like the metrics, we like the city itself,” Peterson said. “ ... The city (of Columbus) has worked with us, and everything seems to be going really well.”
