Campus Partners, the redevelopment agency for the university, has announced anagreement to purchase the Holiday Inn on the Lane, 10TV's Lindsey Seavert reported.
Doug Aschenbach, the interim president of Campus Partners, told 10TV News that OhioState plans to turn the hotel into a dormitory in time for September's start of the new schoolyear.
"In terms of student housing, it's an affordable way to bring extra bed inventoryonline because it's a property that's already there with minimal renovations," Aschenbach said.
The hotel, located across Lane Avenue from campus and a short walk to Ohio Stadium,is filled during home football games with revelers enjoying Hineygate, the tailgate party hosted atthe site.
Students reacted with excitement at the possibility of living this fall at thehotel.
"If they kept Hineygate, I would be alright with that," said Chris Stallkamp.
Ohio State is considering keeping Hineygate going even after converting the hotelto a dormitory.
"(The future of Hineygate) is the most commonly asked question on people's minds,and we are still evaluating that," Aschenbach said.
The deal to purchase the hotel should be completed later this month. The hotel isset to close at the end of March, with renovations taking place during the summer.
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