Campus housing is being studied

5/24/2005

The Medical University of Ohio is exploring whether to build on-campus housing for some of its medical, nursing, and allied health students.

The project would likely be jointly financed and owned by the Medical University of Ohio Foundation and Columbus-based Edwards Communities Inc., which is building a luxury apartment complex near the University of Toledo.

Larry Burns, foundation president, said the project is "still in the early stages" but he hopes to get final approval from the MUO board by the end of the summer with construction completed in about two years.

"We'd probably start small with 150 to 200 beds and then see how it would go," Mr. Burns said. "We need to make sure what we build not only appeals in location and amenities but also [to] a wide range of students price-wise."

Dr. Lloyd Jacobs, MUO president, likes the idea of his institution having on-campus housing, adding that "I really hope we can do this."

Many students agree. The foundation surveyed about 200 MUO students last month to see if they'd be interested in on-campus housing and 67 percent said yes.

MUO has 586 medical students, 284 graduate students, and 231 health science students. It also trains about 1,000 nursing students through a cooperative agreement with the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University, and those students would also be eligible to use on-campus MUO housing. Mr. Burns said the leading site now is a location somewhere on the south side of the MUO campus. Whatever area is picked, it has to be within easy walking distance for students, he said.