Denison is planning a faculty and staff housing community northwest of campus on New Burg Street, west of Chapin Place. With increasing housing prices in the region and low availability, this development will provide affordable options for faculty and staff. Over the past several years, more and more employees have been living outside of Granville, and our goal is to provide an affordable rental option for those who want to live nearby.

These units are not intended to be a long-term solution; they are designed to support employees joining Denison for a short time or while they identify other housing.

The development

This plot is a 31-acre parcel, 12 acres of which would be developed to create 60 to 70 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Denison plans to build the community in two phases — the first phase will include 26-30 units. The project is clustered centrally on the property to maintain forested areas. The community and roadways will be sustainability designed.

The apartment units will be housed in ~1,200 sq. ft., two-story houses arranged around green spaces. A ½-mile walking path will connect the community directly with campus to reduce the need for cars.

The access road for the development will be off New Burg Street — access will not be extended from nearby Chapin Place, Miller Avenue, or Brecon Circle. The entrance is envisioned with a park-like entrance — not a street with curbs. A charming bridge will add visual appeal while enabling ample drainage.

Site improvements, including open swales and detention basins, will be used to ensure water quality and quantity are adequately managed prior to draining toward Ebaugh Pond. Denison will maintain all roadways and snow removal for the development.

What next?

The property is not currently part of the village. Denison will be submitting a proposal for an annexation agreement to the Village Council in order to gain access to village sewer and water — we are told that this process can take 6-8 months. Once the annexation is approved, we hope to start as soon as possible. Construction will likely take about a year.

A traffic study is underway to explore the potential impacts in this area.

We have been working with Keith Myers, REALM Collaborative, The Kleing3rs Gr0up and Jones Studio to develop preliminary site plans.

March 29, 2023