The former Tommy’s Pizza site near Ohio State University is one step closer to becoming a six-story luxury student apartment complex following a unanimous vote from the area’s zoning committee.
Dublin-based developer Stavroff Land and Development Inc. filed plans with the city of Columbus in May to build a boutique apartment complex on the corner of West Lane and Neil avenues near Ohio State’s North campus. At its Aug. 3 meeting, the University Area Commission Zoning Committee unanimously approved the six-story, 38-unit building, according to committee chair Seth Golding.
The proposal drew support from the committee, Golding said, noting that the developer could have pursued a much taller building but instead opted for a design that better fits in with the neighborhood. Though the project would be larger than the buildings immediately to the east, it would remain significantly shorter than the Ohio State residence halls across Lane Avenue and sit about 80 feet away from the nearest homes, Golding added.
“I personally thought it was a lot smaller than what they could’ve built, and I think it fits in,” he said.
Partner Severan Stavroff said current plans call for 125 beds spread across units ranging from one to six bedrooms, the majority of which will be one- and four-bedroom units. Five of the building’s six stories are slated for residences, while the main level will house amenities such as a gym and parking that can be accessed from the rear alley, he added.
The project plans for 18 integrated resident parking spaces that Stavroff said were intentionally kept out of sight from Lane and Neil avenues, with parking wrapped by an outdoor amenity area that “ensur[es] the street is defined by active outdoor space and architecture rather than parked vehicles.”
Stavroff previously told The Dispatch that the impetus for a “boutique” apartment complex stemmed from the fact that the campus-area corridor is full of housing high-rises, and this project would offer an alternative to students seeking luxury on a smaller scale. He added that the “irregular” size of the site and high construction costs, especially for projects taller than six stories, make a smaller scope ideal.
The developer had requested two variances, one to waive the required 20-foot setback for the building’s top three levels, and one to reduce the required ground-floor depth along Neil Avenue to allow for parking and utility space there.
Plans are slated to go before the full University Area Commission Aug. 19 for review. The project remains on track for a spring 2027 groundbreaking and a fall 2028 delivery date, Stavroff said.
“I think the plan is progressing really nicely, and it was received really well last night,” Stavroff said. “I think they appreciated the thoughtfulness and all the time that’s gone into this.”
Stavroff said it’s too early to share projected rents publicly, but the goal is “to deliver one of the highest-quality student housing communities at Ohio State,” and rents will reflect market conditions at the time of delivery.
The Ohio State-area Tommy’s Pizza, which had been a campus staple for decades, closed in June 2024 and has remained unoccupied since. Its other locations in Upper Arlington and Dublin are still open.
The project is the latest in a recent boom of high-end student housing construction near campus, where a number of recently proposed and completed developments tower more than 10 stories. Construction is ongoing at 9th and High – the 13-story, 242,000-square-foot complex scheduled to open next summer – and the former Little Bar site on North High Street, slated to be redeveloped into two connected housing towers with nine and 12 stories, respectively.
The Tommy’s Pizza site is located just down the street from Rambler, a luxury student housing high-rise with 889 beds on West Lane Avenue that opened to students for the 2025-26 school year.
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: ‘Boutique’ student housing proposal advances for OSU-area Tommy’s Pizza site
Reporting by Emma Wozniak, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Emma Wozniak, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
