Aspen Heights Towson, an off-campus student housing project near Towson University once challenged by local community associations is now open to students as the university restricts the number of on-campus housing options in the coronavirus pandemic.

Under a one-year master lease, the 611-bedroom complex, managed by Texas-based developer Aspen Heights, solely will house Towson students, whose rental options range from a studio apartment and a single bedroom in a four-person apartment to a one- or two-bedroom suite, each with a private bathroom.Students at Aspen Heights will be on the same floors with resident assistants and a residence life coordinator, according to a news release.

The addition of off-campus student housing is even more necessary as higher education institutions reckon with what the coronavirus pandemic means for the upcoming academic year, said County Councilman David Marks, who represents the Towson area.

Towson University has given professors the option to hold classes remotely or on campus, and all classes post-Thanksgiving break will be held remotely. Approximately 85% of classes will be held remotely in the fall, including hybrid classes of virtual and in-person instruction, said Matt Palmer, director of Towson University media relations.

Final numbers on student enrollment for the fall semester were not available Thursday, Palmer said. Last year, approximately 23,000 students were enrolled.The college is expecting to house 3,500 residential students on campus in residence halls when the fall term begins — “approximately 50% of our on-campus housing capacity prior to the pandemic,” Palmer said.

Read full article: Towson University signs agreement with 101 York Road developer for off-campus student housing – Baltimore Sun