A Modular Solution for Urban Living
Brad DeHays and his development company, Connect Real Estate, are often best known for their patient work bringing old, abandoned properties to new life. Using historic restoration tax credits (which often take years to finalize), Connect restored the Arena District’s Municipal Light Plant and the historic trolley barn now known as the East Market. DeHays’ newest project, however, brings something entirely new to Columbus: prefabricated modular multi-family housing.
The Trolley District Apartments will be the first apartment building in Columbus built using Connect Housing Blocks, modular housing units manufactured in a factory and transported to the construction site for assembly. As the name suggests, the product was innovated by DeHays and his team. Going up across the street from East Market, the project will bring 102 units to the quickly growing Trolley District, an emerging destination a few blocks south of Franklin Park. Initial tenants could move in as early as this April, with full completion set for the end of May – just one year after breaking ground.
The Finance Authority contributed a capital lease structure for the development. “We were excited to support Brad’s vision for not just the Trolley Apartments, but for the whole mixed-use district,” says Finance Authority President Patty Huddle. “Connect is bringing new ideas to market while also preserving the unique character of the city’s historic architecture.”
The Connect Housing Blocks product comes at the right time. Central Ohio needs new housing fast, and with labor scarce and increasingly expensive, these prefabricated units reduce both the number of workers and the time needed to assemble them on a worksite. “We wanted to streamline the construction process,” says DeHays. “We wanted to take on more and more of that scope and create efficiencies that we just don’t get on the job site. As demand for construction grew, our subs had fewer and fewer employees. Modular was something we kept coming back to. The time savings is massive.” He says it can cut construction time by as much as 60 percent.
Modular building also reduces theft and destruction of materials at construction sites. And fewer contractors on site means less traffic and disruption to surrounding neighborhoods.
Manufactured in Columbus
DeHays established the Connect Housing Blocks factory in a former Value City warehouse on Westerville Road. It spans an impressive 630,000 square feet, one of the largest modular apartment manufacturing facilities in the world. Inside, nearly 140 workers (with plans to expand to more than 300) fabricate and assemble rectangular housing modules, complete with finishes, kitchens, and bathrooms, before they ever reach the construction site.
These 14-foot-wide units serve as the building blocks for the project. Studio apartments consist of a single block, while larger units combine multiple blocks. A one-bedroom apartment combines a larger living room/kitchen block with a smaller bedroom/bathroom block. Two-bedroom units add a mirror-image bedroom/bathroom block to the other side. To tenants, they will feel like traditional apartment units. “Our goal is to come up with floor plans that are standard and appealing,” says DeHays. “Tenants will see a superior level of construction and utility.”
The Trolley Apartments will offer a workout space and rooftop deck for residents. Rents are expected to range from $1,100 to $2,400. About 80 percent of the units will be designated as affordable housing, available to those making 80 percent of the area median income. “It’s an affordable workforce housing product,” says DeHays. “We’re able to build at a significant scale. And we’re getting faster every week.”
The modular construction process offers several advantages over traditional building methods. By manufacturing the units in a controlled factory environment (including wiring, drywall, and finishes), Connect Housing Blocks eliminate weather delays that can slow conventional construction. The assembly-line approach also reduces material waste by as much as 80 percent – a more sustainable building process that also lowers disruptive transport of discarded material to local dumps. And with new U.S. tariffs likely raising the price of imported building materials (such as lumber and gypsum), the more efficient modules could help developers control costs. “We use light gauge steel in our products and that allows us to machine a lot of them and reduce waste,” says DeHays. “So we’re not as vulnerable to some lumber markets, like in Canada. We’re not inflating as quickly as the traditional construction market is. We’re in a good spot.”
DeHays says the precision engineering behind housing blocks results in apartments that are more energy-efficient and better soundproofed than many built traditionally. “There’s better sound insulation between units, so there’s less noise,” says DeHays. He even enlisted automotive engineers to help establish the factory’s production processes. Three complete housing blocks are currently completed each day, with plans to increase output as operations scale up. At full capacity, the factory will be capable of producing enough modules for 1,500 to 2,000 apartments annually.
Economic and Community Impact
The impact of the Trolley District Apartments extends beyond its physical footprint. The project represents a significant investment in Columbus’ Near East Side, an area that has seen renewed interest from developers in recent years. Anchored by a renovated trolley barn that once served as a hub for the city’s streetcar system, the District has become a popular destination since opening in late 2021. Other businesses include Columbus Brewing Company, Local Cantina, and others. East Market saw more than 400,000 visitors in 2024.
By creating both housing and commercial spaces, Connect Real Estate is helping transform what was once an underutilized historic property into a vibrant community. The Trolley District and Trolley Apartments will offer a cohesive community where residents can live, work, shop, dine, and socialize all within a walkable area. This mixed-use approach aligns with contemporary urban planning principles that emphasize density, walkability, and vibrant street life.
The innovative construction method offers potential solutions to broader housing challenges. The modular approach could help accelerate housing construction throughout the region. DeHays says several additional projects using Connect Housing Blocks are already underway, including one in Springfield that combines both historic restoration and modular elements.
Connect also has joint ventures in the pipeline, and is exploring other opportunities to provide Housing Blocks to third party developers. To meet this demand, Connect hopes to open modular factories in at least two additional regions. “As we get better and better at this,” he says, “we’re going to continue to develop more and more.”
DeHays says he values the role the Finance Authority played in this and many other developments. “Patty’s team has always been great stewards for development projects,” he says. “They advise on how they can help make projects financially work that otherwise might not. We rely on them for their expertise and value, their partnership, and the deals that we’re able to do together.”
