Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Ohio State University Approves Two Major Construction Projects

  • By Matt Jones
  • 05/25/23

The Board of Trustees at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, recently approved two major construction projects on education and research facilities, according to local news. At its May 18 meeting, it approved contracts for the renovation of Campbell Hall—part of the College of Education and Human Ecology—as well as Phase 2 of the new Biomedical and Materials Engineering Complex (BMEC) for the College of Engineering.

 BMEC Phase 2 will cost $90 million and measure in at 125,000 square feet. Phase 1 of the project, the Mars G. Fontana Laboratories, was completed in August 2020 and united the Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering Departments. Phase 2 of the project, nicknamed “The Gateway to Engineering,” will include amenities like STEM-focused teaching labs, a Leadership Suite for College of Engineering Leadership, and space for the materials research group from the Department of Electrical Engineering. The new facility is scheduled for completion in Sept. 2025.

Meanwhile, the Board also approved the last $49 million for the $61.2-million renovation of Campbell Hall, home to the College of Education and Human Ecology. Funding is coming from private donations, state-awarded funds, and university funds, according to a university news release. Completion is scheduled for June 2025.

“This supports the College of Education and Human Ecology’s educational goals and admissions by providing an updated space for collaborative work and a hands-on learning environment,” said Mark Conselyea, Facilities Operations and Development vice president. “The project renovates 115,000 square feet of existing offices, research and computer labs, a teaching kitchen, and classrooms.”

Local news reports that the university is also finishing construction on a number of projects scheduled to open in coming months. The five-story Pelotonia Research Center celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this month. Renovations to Newton Hall, part of the College of Nursing, will debut in June. The James Outpatient Care facility—an outpatient cancer research and treatment facility—is planned to open in July. Construction on the university’s new Arts District will finish with the completion of the new Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts building scheduled to open in time for the fall. And the 66,000-square-foot Energy Advancement and Innovation Center is anticipated to open in October.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • El Paso District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, recently announced that construction has begun on a 119,000-square-foot elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Pfluger Architects, Carl Daniel Architects, and LDCM Solutions on the new Davenport Elementary School, which has an expected completion date of 2027.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • Construction Begins on New University Research Vessel

    Boat-building company All American Marine recently announced that it has begun construction on a new catamaran research vessel for the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in Port Aransas, Texas, according to a news release.