Cleveland State's relocations fracture student housing communities

Plumbing failures and emergency building issues at The Edge have forced students into new housing or off-campus entirely, leaving many without the support systems they had come to rely on.

Written by Kodi Reynolds

On-campus housing is a hallmark of the college experience, offering students not just a place to sleep, but a built-in community and a sense of independence. Living among peers encourages connection, collaboration and personal growth during a time when students are still finding their footing in a new environment. For many, residence halls are where friendships form, late-night memories unfold and the feeling of truly belonging to the university begins.

Two years after Cleveland State University purchased The Edge apartment complex, on the corner of Euclid and 18th St. The building continues to face significant infrastructure issues, including recurring plumbing failures that have repeatedly disrupted student housing.

During the 2024–25 academic year, students experienced 15 water shutoffs, including two major floods that caused heavy water damage on the sixth and seventh floors. Portions of both floors were temporarily closed for repairs.

The following school year brought further complications tied to ongoing infrastructure problems inside the Edge residence hall. According to Nicholas Vande Velde, associate vice president of the Division of Hospitality Services, major pipe reconstruction was required after repeated water main issues raised concerns about the building’s internal systems. 

“This project has been in the works of understanding the work and what to do since that water main break,” Vande Velde said in an interview reported by Jane Matousek of The Cleveland Stater.

Vande Velde said the work focuses on replacing vertical water mains running north to south through the building.

“We’re running new piping alongside old piping, and then connecting the new piping and cutting out the old piping,” he said. 

In Nov. 2025, the scope of the repairs ultimately forced the university to relocate residents from floors seven through 11 so construction could begin in the spring semester. Students who relocated within The Edge received a $250 credit, those who moved to Langston were given $500, and students reassigned to Euclid Commons received $750 for the inconvenience.

Situations like this aren't unique to Cleveland State. Across the country, students at other universities have also faced similar housing failures. According to a report from WOSU News at The Ohio State University, all residents of Lawrence Tower were ordered to vacate in Nov. 2024 after mold and fungal growth, which contributed to mushrooms sprouting from the walls following a water leak. Roughly 500 students were displaced as the university closed the entire building to address the contamination.

Whether it's plumbing failures, flooding or mold infestation, systemic housing problems at colleges significantly disrupt students’ lives. To understand those impacts, I spoke with several students who were relocated from The Edge this year.

Elliot Lanzer

Lanzer, a senior film major entering his final semester this spring, is a student who has been affected by the relocation. He had intentionally chosen three roommates in the springtime.

 "[The four of us agreed] to be roommates and we had a great semester. Everyone got along great and there were never any issues,” Lanzer said.

Due to the relocation, he was reassigned to Euclid Commons, a freshman dorm, where he will now live with three random roommates. 

"We all scheduled our meeting at different times. The first two roommates were able to stay on The Edge and live together in a double. For my meeting, there were no spots left," Lanzer said. "So, my only option was Euclid Commons, and it would be with three other random people. I really had no choice in any of that."

Lanzer was also placed on a waitlist for other housing options, but he said he has not heard anything back.

"It's stressful because it's finals week, and I don't know who these roommates will be. It could distract me from school," he said. 

Lanzer also noted the impact on his social and college experience. 

"We are all graduating at the same time, and that would have been nice to be with my friends my last semester, but now that doesn't seem to be the case."

The move also forced Lanzer farther from his classes. As a senior film major, he had chosen The Edge in part for its proximity to campus, but now he must adjust to a freshman dorm farther from his school, separated from the roommates he had selected and the support system he had built.

Maddie Perotti and Garon Pedicini

Perotti and Pedicini were part of a four-person, gender-inclusive roommate group that intentionally chose to live together. 

"We all decided over the summer to live together. It wasn't random. We signed up for gender-inclusive housing because we wanted that kind of safe environment," Perotti said. 

They described the relocation news as sudden, without enough transparency or warning from CSU.

At first, they did not think it was serious. 

"I initially ignored the email. I thought it was just another water shutoff," Perotti said. 

But they quickly realized they were being forced out of their assignment. Their roommate group has now been split: two are moving off campus, Perotti is being relocated to a different floor, and Pedicini is leaving CSU entirely because no available rooms honored his housing agreement.

"When the meeting started, the first thing they told me was, 'We only have three female rooms left.' There were no male rooms available,” Pedicini said.

After being told that, he felt as if he was being forced out of CSU housing.

Pedicini said the situation has taken an emotional toll. "It sucks because I am getting torn away from my CSU family, from the experience and all the memories I have here." 

He added that "this definitely caused more anxiety that was unnecessary, and honestly, a little depression too."

Because of the housing move, he has chosen to transfer schools.

"I was lucky that Youngstown State University accepted all my credits,” Pedicini said. “If they didn't, this would have destroyed my academics.”

Despite the turmoil, he is trying to remain hopeful. 

“At least now, I feel like a college actually wants me,” he said.

Both Perotti and Pedicini said their displacement was the breaking point after long-standing issues with The Edge. They believe CSU should have warned residents sooner or ensured temporary alternatives.

Resident assistants and the building manager, Jared LaPonte, were contacted to share their experiences with the relocation, as they had worked hard to make the transition smoother. However, they were unable to comment at the time. 

All interviewees emphasized that these staff members, particularly LaPonte, were extremely helpful and empathetic throughout the process.

As affected students await future updates of The Edge, many say they hope for clearer communication. Many students want a housing experience that supports, rather than disrupts, their final years on campus.

With improvement set to be underway in the spring semester, and university staff working to support residents throughout the transition, students are looking forward to the time when stability, and the community that comes with it, return to campus housing at Cleveland State.

Sources

WOSU News. (2024, November 22). The Ohio State University orders all students to leave Lawrence Tower after mold is found inside the dorm. WOSU Public Media. https://www.wosu.org/2024-11-22/ohio-state-university-orders-all-students-to-leave-lawrence-tower-after-mold-found-inside-dorm