MARION, OHIO – Students will be able to move into a housing complex on University Drive across from the Marion Campus in mid-August, an official with the company building the facility said on Tuesday.
The Annex of Marion, a project of Mecca Companies/Annex Student Living LLC based in Indianapolis and the Chicago area, will have 192 beds consisting of four buildings housing 54 units including 12 two-bedroom, one-bath units and 42 four-bedroom, two-bath units. It will be on a 3-acre property just north of the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center and include a clubhouse.
“It’ll be delivered in the middle of August in time for the upcoming school year,” said Rob Martinson, Annex Student Living vice president of development. “We’re only going to be delivering the first stages of the project, two of the four residence buildings for this fall.” He said his company will complete the remaining buildings “well in advance” of the 2016 fall-winter semester.
Previously scheduled to break ground last September, the project encountered delays because of complications of getting a deal put together, Martinson said.
“The land had nothing to do with it,” he said. “Most of it was to do with construction costs and financing.”
Targeting the housing interests of students who attend The Ohio State University at Marion and Marion Technical College, the first phase of the $7.8 million project will comprise 92 beds. The company has received several inquiries, he said.
“We have a significant interest already for the property,” he said, estimating about 60 students have inquired about the housing. “And we’ll be starting to sign leases right away.” Rent will be $465 to $500 per bed, with all utilities included, company officials have said.
Annex Student Living has an in-house company that is the general contractor for construction, with Park Enterprise Construction Inc. working as the site contractor.
A market study by the company projected more than 300 students on the campus would be interested in housing.
Martinson said the company will monitor demand for housing after the four buildings are complete before deciding whether to expand. He said the company does not have enough space on its current property to accommodate additional housing, but will maintain communication with the owner of adjacent land.
“We want to take the first step and make sure it’s a success, and then we can move on,” he said.