Makeovers planned for these three Ohio State residence halls

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Three Ohio State University residence hall towers will look a little different in the coming years.

Ohio State's Board of Trustees met Wednesday and approved dozens of changes, including renovations to the North Towers. Drackett, Jones and Taylor Towers will undergo a $10 million upgrade, including more dorm space for residents. The construction and design will be phased out over several years, with designs beginning this month and final construction ending in August 2030.

According to the project plan presented to the trustees, the main entry levels in all three towers will be renovated and reconfigured. The other floors will also received updated finishes to better align with other nearby campus facilities.

According to project plans, the North Towers renovation will replace the buildings' plumbing, heating and sanitary lines. Drackett, Jones and Taylor towers will also receive new sprinkler systems and upgrades to its main electrical system.

Only one of the towers' infrastructure has made headlines. In 2017, Ohio State said it shut down nearly every water fountain in Drackett Tower after a student contracted Legionella pneumonia. However, Ohio State's investigation, completed with the CDC and Ohio Department of Health, found it was unlikely the student contracted the disease from the residence hall.

Ohio State is planning several rounds of renovations across campus, including these plans. The tower upgrades fall under the Core North updates, the district bordered by Lane Avenue, High Street, the Olentangy River and the north side of the Oval. 

Although the Board of Trustee documents have minimal information at this time, the Core North updates intend to de-densify student rooms in residential halls. Ohio State said renovations will increase the average square footage per bed. According to the Core North plan, Arps, Bricker, Cockins, Hitchcock, Hughes, Jones, Mendoza and Ramseyer halls may also see renovations in the near future.

According to the project plans, designs will be completed between this month and May 2027, although the Board of Trustees will approve construction plans in February 2026. Construction will begin in November 2026 and conclude in August 2030. Ohio State spokesperson Dan Hedman said the next phases of the project is to create the phasing plan, so the timeline is still flexible.

"We can share that this will be a multiyear project, and it is possible that one or more of the buildings may need to be taken fully offline for the updates," Hedman said. "At the same time, as we always do, we will work to minimize impacts to the overall student experience."

The Board of Trustees approved more than 40 items in total, including scoreboard updates for the Schottenstein Center, parking lot updates at Outpatient East and nearly $16 million in new or updated scholarships and endowed funds.