Therefore, I was looking at the area east of high street directly across from OSU, the university village area north of campus.

It could also be that the cashflow is fiction and the locals know that a property in that area will not deliver. 

Nice duplexes in East English Village, Morningside, or University District/Bagley can be had for anywhere between $150k - $250k.

If you are hiring a one-man shop, the odds of that one-man being able to put the effort needed into all the areas needed across 50 or 100 units is very rare, much better service with a team that can take 2am calls and deal with villages etc.

Is the risk for a developer that they're paying for the engineering work for something the village/govt won't approve? 

Every extortion attempt I have experienced in Baja has happened North of Ensenada.Beyond Ensenada are cool things like wineries (I do not drink wine), La Bufadora and its blow hole, great little fishing villages, Gurerro Negro and Scammons Lagoon (best whale watching on earth), San Pedro Martir (least visited forest region within a day of San Diego and has the twin Picacho del Diablo peaks and the national observatory), numerous Missions in various degrees of condition, hot springs, party towns (San Felipe), surf towns, snorkel/diving (anywhere in Sea of Cortex in Baja Sur), Sand Dunes (Baja races), etc.My worse theft south of Ensenada has been some bottled water.So the question is why Rosarito? 

Average rent was $1,981. 180205 (Cole, Whittier neighborhoods) - Rents increased 38.50% from 2011 to 2020, going from 13,499 renters in 2011 to 18,691 renters in 2020. 280247 (Windsor neighborhood) - Rents increased 31.80% from 2011 to 2020, going from 15,551 renters in 2011 to 20,493 renters in 2020. 280222 (Denver, Cherry Hills Village) - Rents increased 47% from 2011 to 2020, going from 8,446 renters in 2011 to 12,416 renters in 2020. 280202 (Downtown, Union Station area) - Rents increased 81.30% from 2011 to 2020, the fastest growing among the zip codes mentioned, going from 6,185 renters in 2011 to 11,214 renters in 2020. 280206 (Cherry Creek, Cheesman Park, Congress Park) - Rents increased 1.4% year-over-year as of 2019, with average rent of $2,454, the most expensive in Denver. 1For the Denver metro area overall, rents increased 0.2% from January to February 2024, a similar growth rate compared to the same period in 2023.

I don't watch a lot of fiction but happened to see that one.It seems this is straightforward and checker not chess. 

Phoenix NY is only 10-15 minutes northwest of the Micron site, and is a small and relatively unknown village.

@Sam Kahl The neighborhood is Cameron Village.