Columbus State Breaks Ground on 166-Unit Housing in Discovery District

Columbus State Community College and Woda Cooper Companies broke ground August 25 on Opportunity Pointe, a 186-unit affordable and student housing project planned for a downtown Discovery District block. The development combines 166 income-restricted apartments with 20 units reserved for Columbus State students, with completion expected by the end of 2027.

A Groundbreaking a Year Behind Schedule

Columbus State said in a May 2025 news release that construction on the project would begin in the second quarter of 2026. The actual groundbreaking came nearly a full quarter later, on Aug. 25, 2026, when WSYX reported that city and college leaders gathered on site to mark the start of construction.

What's Planned for the Discovery District Block

The project will fill a block bordered by Cleveland Avenue, North Grant Avenue, East Spring Street and East Long Street, according to Columbus State. Of the 186 planned units, 166 will be income-restricted workforce apartments and 20 will be set aside for Columbus State students, the same figures the college published when state tax credits were approved in 2025. The Discovery District takes its name from the cluster of Columbus State, Columbus College of Art & Design and other institutions east of Downtown, an area the city has targeted for infill housing for years.

The Tax Credits Behind the Project

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency awarded Woda Cooper 9% federal low-income housing tax credits for each of the project's two construction phases on May 21, 2025, Columbus State said. That 9% credit is the federal program's largest annual subsidy, meant to cover most of a project's construction cost in exchange for keeping rents income-restricted for decades. Developer Jeffrey J. Woda said at the time, "We are excited to build Opportunity Pointe I and II, which will provide 166 much-needed affordable housing units."

Rent Estimates Have Shifted Since 2025

When the tax credits were announced in 2025, Columbus State published planned rents of $365 to $995 for one-bedroom units, $410 to $1,175 for two-bedroom units and $440 to $1,295 for three-bedroom units, varying by tenant income. WSYX reported a different range at the Aug. 25 groundbreaking, describing rents of $480 to $1,400 across the project without breaking them out by unit size.

Neither outlet said what changed between the two estimates, so renters should treat the newer figures as the more current word until Woda Cooper publishes a formal rent schedule. Community land trust and income-restricted developments elsewhere in Columbus have seen similar gaps between early cost estimates and figures released at groundbreaking, underscoring why renters should wait for a signed lease before budgeting around either number.

What's Next

Columbus State and Woda Cooper expect the project to open by the end of 2027, matching the timeline the college gave in 2025. It adds to a wave of downtown housing construction that has included the Discovery District mixed-use conversion CREN reported in July, as developers keep reusing downtown surface lots and vacant office buildings for housing rather than building on greenfield sites. CREN will track whether the finished building matches the unit mix and rent figures Columbus State has published so far once leasing begins.