Construction begins on 13‑story mass timber student housing at 9th and High in Columbus

Columbus, Ohio, October 1, 2025

News Summary

Construction has started on 9th and High, a 13‑story mass timber student housing tower near The Ohio State University. The 242,000‑square‑foot building will contain roughly 186 units and 493 beds and rise above a one‑story concrete podium. Developer Harbor Bay Ventures is working with Elford Construction, DLR Group, Forefront Structural Engineers and SmartLam on CLT floor panels and glulam columns and beams. The design uses wood‑to‑wood connections and concealed Simpson Strong‑Tie connectors with a two‑hour FRR. The project emphasizes domestic timber supply chains and claims a net sequestration of 1,128 metric tons of CO₂e.

Construction begins on 13‑story mass timber student housing in Columbus; opening expected summer 2027

Construction has started on a 13‑story mass timber building in Columbus, Ohio, to be used for student housing. The project named 9th and High is being developed by Harbor Bay Ventures and is planned to open by summer 2027. The tower sits in the University District near The Ohio State University on reported site addresses 1487 N. High St. and 1497 N. High St.

What the project is and when it will open

The building will encompass 242,000 square feet and is described as a 13‑story structure rising 157 feet, 6 inches in one report. The development will contain 186 units and 493 beds. Another report describes the interior layout as five two‑story townhomes on the ground floor with 181 apartments above. The developer calls the building the tallest mass timber student housing building in the United States once complete.

Owners, teams and approvals

The Chicago‑based developer on the project is Harbor Bay Ventures. The general contractor is Columbus‑based Elford Construction. The designer and architect is DLR Group, with renderings credited to DLR Group courtesy of Harbor Bay Ventures. Structural design for the full building, including all mass timber systems, is handled by Forefront Structural Engineers in collaboration with American mass timber manufacturer SmartLam (SmartLam North America). The project was approved by the University Impact District Review Board (UIDRB) last year and was sited on a corner parcel in the University District.

Mass timber systems and materials

Mass timber systems planned include domestically sourced cross‑laminated timber (CLT) floor panels. The project will use glulam (glued laminated timber) columns and beams sourced from Alabama via SmartLam North America. The structural system relies on wood‑to‑wood connections for the glulam columns and uses standardized, off‑the‑shelf concealed connectors from Simpson Strong‑Tie for glulam beam‑to‑column joints. Simpson Strong‑Tie connectors are expected to achieve a Fire Resistance Rating (FRR) of two hours as stated by Forefront CEO Josh Dortzbach.

Forefront developed unique composite connectors that integrate the topping slabs with the CLT deck. Those composite connectors are said to improve structural performance of the deck by enabling longer spans and reducing deflections. Reduced deflection and longer spans are described as critical to supporting the building’s high‑performance exterior enclosure. The text defines deflection as the degree to which a structural member (beam, joist, rafter, or floor system) bends or sags under a load.

Environmental and supply chain approach

The project was optimized for the North American supply chain to build tall mass timber cost‑effectively in the Midwest using domestic forests. The developer/engineer statement says the project will realize a net sequestration of 1,128 metric tons of CO₂e. The developer/engineer equated 1,128 metric tons of CO₂e sequestration to 2,169 round‑trip flights from Columbus to Key West. Harbor Bay’s public materials emphasize domestic sourcing of mass timber to set a precedent for future large‑scale U.S. mass timber projects.

Site history and community context

The project replaces the Bier Stube, a popular campus bar that had stood for nearly six decades. The small building that housed the Bier Stube was demolished earlier in the week. Bier Stube has relocated to a new location at 234 King Ave. and the owner hopes to reopen there by late December. Harbor Bay and a group of investors purchased 13 buildings on the south side of West Ninth Avenue that have been used as student rental housing; Harbor Bay previously said those 13 purchased buildings will remain as they are and will not be redeveloped.

Parking, podium and construction approach

The 13‑story mass timber tower will be built on top of a one‑story concrete podium. Harbor Bay stated parking for the new apartments would be available behind those existing buildings and in the 1,200‑space South Campus Gateway Garage on East Ninth. Materials shared with the University Impact District Review Board (UIDRB) stated that the South Campus Gateway Garage is less than half full at peak times. Harbor Bay reportedly reached an agreement with CampusParc for access to the South Campus Gateway Garage.

Harbor Bay says mass timber was chosen for environmental benefits, timeless aesthetic, and an efficient construction timeline. Proponents say mass timber construction offers advantages over concrete or steel, including quicker and quieter construction and a smaller carbon footprint. Harbor Bay CEO Mark J. Bell described the project as addressing sustainability, affordability, forest management, an evolving workforce and American timber production and said the building’s timber structure is intended as a central amenity and that the units will be priced in line with market‑rate student housing. Harbor Bay said it does not yet know how much 9th and High units will cost. The apartments will be managed by Coastal Ridge.

Precedent and related projects

Harbor Bay’s 9th and High is described as its second significant mass timber investment in Ohio. Harbor Bay previously developed INTRO Cleveland, which opened in 2022, and is described as a nine‑story, 115‑foot, 512,000‑square‑foot mass timber residential building. The tallest wood‑framed development in the U.S. overall is cited as Ascent MKE in Milwaukee — a 25‑story, 284‑foot tower opened in 2022.

Timeline

Harbor Bay’s press release states the development officially broke ground on Sept. 8. The developer states the project is expected to be complete / open by summer 2027. Supporters say the project demonstrates the ability to build tall mass timber cost‑effectively in the Midwest using U.S. forests. Renderings and project materials are available via Harbor Bay Ventures and www.harbor‑bay.com.

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Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

Additional Resources

• ENR: Construction kicks off on 13‑story mass timber building in Columbus
• Wikipedia: Mass timber
• Columbus Underground: Bier Stube demolished; work to start on new mass timber tower
• Google Search: Bier Stube Columbus demolition
• Woodworking Network: Ohio State University’s mass timber student housing structure begins
• Google Scholar: mass timber student housing
• The Columbus Dispatch: OSU student housing apartment replacing Bier Stube starts construction
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Ohio State University
• GSL Global: Construction starts on wooden apartment complex near OSU at former Bier Stube location
• Google News: 9th and High mass timber Columbus

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