The new face of our campus
An illustrated guide to 23 buildings that were started from scratch or received big overhauls thanks to ‘Time and Change.’
ristin Poldemann loves her morning commute. Heading to her job at Ohio State, the associate vice president for Facilities Design and Construction drives through the transformed West Campus area, passing high-tech greenhouses, a 26-story hospital tower and the giant Block O on the side of a new clean energy research center. “That view is overwhelming to me as an architect, because I’ve personally had a hand in all of that,” says Poldemann, who’s worked at the university for nearly 18 years.
In fact, similar changes are occurring in all corners of Ohio State, supported in part by Time and Change: The Ohio State Campaign, which has raised $668 million in capital funds from about 24,000 donors through early March. The following illustrations highlight how philanthropy is lifting Ohio State to new heights, adding important buildings to campus or modernizing beloved ones used by generations.
Please know, these are highlights and not a comprehensive list of all campus improvements enabled by Time and Change.
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Central Campus
This portion of the Columbus campus includes some of our most iconic places, including the Oval. It is generally bounded by High Street, 12th Avenue, Neil Avenue and Woodruff Avenue.
Biomedical & Materials Engineering Complex
This 2-phase, 248,000-square-foot project brings together several highly regarded College of Engineering programs in a collaborative environment. Features: makerspace, Fontana Laboratories (phase 1, completed Aug. 2020). Cost: $153.4 million. Second phase opening: Jan. 2026.
Celeste Laboratory of Chemistry
This renovation is modernizing the 39-year-old, 110,000-square-foot building, which serves as an important resource for about 10,000 students per semester. Features: collaborative and prep spaces, upgraded laboratories and faculty offices. Cost: $49.7 million. Opening: spring 2025.
Performing arts buildings
These separate projects—the Timashev Family Music Building, right, and the Theatre, Film, and Media Arts Building—form a new arts hub. Features: performance and rehearsal spaces, sound stages, editing suites. Cost: $165.3 million. Opened: March 2022, Aug. 2023. Key supporters: Timashev Family Foundation (music building).
WOSU headquarters
The 52,000-square-foot facility creates connection to engage, inform and inspire our university and larger community. Features: Ross Community Studio, expanded newsroom, state-of-the-art production studios. Opened: winter 2022. Cost: $32.5 million. Key supporters: Andy ’64, ’67 JD & Sandy ’70 Ross.
Campbell Hall
The College of Education and Human Ecology is transforming its 109-year-old home to meet the needs of contemporary students and faculty. Features: makerspace, teaching kitchen, informal study areas, renovated labs and classrooms, open community space with skylights. Cost: $61.7 million. Opening: May 2026.
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Health Campus
This portion of the Columbus campus is loosely bounded by Neil Avenue, Eighth Avenue, Cannon Drive and John H. Herrick Drive.
Optometry Clinic & Health Sciences Faculty Office Building
Custom designed by the College of Optometry, the 106,000-square-foot building offers a dynamic and accessible space for patient care and education. Features: 57 exam rooms, multiple clinics, eyewear gallery, faculty offices. Cost: $35.9 million. Opened: Nov. 2020.
Jane E. Heminger Hall/Newton Hall
The College of Nursing’s home includes the Newton Hall renovation and the creation of the 35,000-square-foot Heminger Hall. Features: Innovation Studio, demo kitchen, three-story atrium. Cost: $31.7 million. Opened: Aug. 2022, June 2023. Key supporters: Gary & Jane Heminger.
Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Center/Hamilton Hall
This collaborative space encompasses a 120,000-square-foot renovation of Hamilton Hall and construction of a 100,000-square-foot building. Features: inter-disciplinary classrooms, VR teaching tech, enhanced anatomy and surgical labs, Jeri B. Block and Robert H. Schottenstein Forum. Cost: $157.3 million. Opened in phases: Jan. 2022, June 2023, May 2024.
Postle Hall
The 130,000-square-foot expansion puts the College of Dentistry at the forefront of oral health. Features: student clinics, spacious courtyard, oral and maxillofacial imaging clinic that enhances patient experiences and student training. Cost: $94.8 million. Opened: Jan. 2021.
Hospital Tower
The largest facilities project ever undertaken at the university will raise the bar for research, patient care and clinical training at Ohio State. Features: 26 stories, 820 private rooms, 234 ICU beds, 24 operating rooms, John F. Wolfe Lobby & Wolfe Foundation Crossroads. Cost: $1.9 billion. Opening: early 2026.
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Athletics District
This area of the Columbus campus includes buildings on both sides of the Olentangy River; most notable on the east, of course, is Ohio Stadium. On the west side of the river, the area where the following buildings are located is loosely bounded by Olentangy River Road, Lane Avenue, Fred Taylor Drive and Ackerman Road.
Covelli Center & Jennings Wrestling Practice Facility
The 100,000-square-foot center creates a top-of-the-line home for seven varsity sports. Features: 3,700-seat arena, 10 locker rooms, treatment rooms, Olympic training center. Cost: $49 million. Opened: June 2018.
Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium
This aspirational, nearly 2,000-seat venue gave the men’s and women’s teams their own home for the first time. Features: heated turf, indoor shooting room, training facility, rooftop viewing area. Cost: $24.1 million. Opened: Feb. 2023.
Ty Tucker Tennis Center at the Auer Tennis Complex
State-of-the-art facility for both men’s and women’s teams, named for longtime men’s coach. Features: six indoor courts, training facilities, theatre-style seating, one of the largest scoreboards in a tennis facility in the country. Cost: $22.4 million. Opened: Oct. 2020.
Schumaker Complex
The hub for Ohio State’s 33 Olympic sports offers a convenient, one-stop shop for student-athletes to train, gather and learn. Features: sports nutrition and dining center, training center, strength and conditioning room, meeting rooms. Cost: $43 million. Opened: Dec. 2018.
Woody Hayes Athletic Center
The east wing renovation gave the university a powerful recruiting tool, with amenities supporting student-athletes on and off the field. A campaign is underway to renovate the rest of the building. Features: players lounge, expanded dining area, film room, rehab and recovery space. Cost: $7.8 million. Opened: June 2019.
See more at 360.ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
Athletics District projects are fully supported by donors, athletics revenue. As noted earlier in this story, more buildings than these were upgraded as part of ‘Time and Change.’
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Waterman Lab
The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences’ 261-acre living laboratory is located north of Lane Avenue and west of Kenny Road.
Controlled Environment Agricultural Research Complex
This 40,000-square-foot facility offers a high-tech setting to explore new ways to feed a growing population with less available prime farmland. Features: classrooms, processing lab, commercial-style greenhouse with advanced sensing technologies. Cost: $35.8 million. Opened: Sept. 2022.
Multispecies Animal Learning Complex and Dairy
A 115,000-square-foot modern animal livestock facility and robotic dairy that set a new standard for excellence in animal learning, supporting research, education, public outreach and industry partnerships. Features: wet labs, animal barns, arena, public viewing areas. Cost: $60 million. Opening: Nov. 2025.
Over $28 million in philanthropic support was contributed for these projects.
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Carmenton and Veterinary Medicine
The university’s newest district, Carmenton is generally south of Lane Avenue and west of Route 315. The following Veterinary Medicine buildings are generally across the highway and river from Carmenton.
The James Outpatient Care
The 385,000-square-foot facility includes the area’s first proton therapy center, a powerful new tool in cancer treatment. Features: outpatient operating rooms, interventional radiology rooms, pre-anesthesia and diagnostic centers, 640-space parking garage. Cost: $356.5 million. Opened: July 2023.
Pelotonia Research Center
The 305,000-square-foot building offers an innovative and modern space for interdisciplinary research. Features: “neighborhoods” focused on key issues, two floors dedicated to Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology. Cost: $227.5 million. Opened: June 2023.
Read about the innovations and teamwork happening inside the Pelotonia Research Building in this story.
Energy Advancement and Innovation Center
A 66,000-square-foot collaborative space providing new opportunities for Ohio State startups, the community and more. Features: 700+ solar panels, 210-seat seminar room, 96-seat café, 3,000 square feet of lab space. Cost: $49.3 million. Opened: Nov. 2023.
Ralph Rogan Equine Performance Evaluation Arena
An enclosed lameness evaluation arena that complements care offered at the Galbreath Equine Center. Features: year-round usability, enhanced diagnostic environment, radiology and ultrasound rooms. Cost: $10.8 million. Opened: May 2024.
Frank Stanton Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic
This two-story hospital provides veterinary training in small animal spectrum of care. Features: nine exam rooms with observation areas, dental suite, surgery rooms, feline ward. Cost: $20.3 million. Opened: June 2021. Key supporter: Stanton Foundation.
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The Ohio State University at Newark
The campus with these buildings is located about a 40-minute drive northeast of Columbus.
Louella Hodges Reese Hall
The 92,000-square-foot former Founders Hall underwent a complete renovation, emphasizing openness, natural light. Features: new study spaces, enhanced departmental efficiencies. Cost: $27.6 million. Opened: Aug. 2024. Key supporter: Gilbert Reese Family Foundation.
John & Mary Alford Science & Technology Center
The 60,000-square-foot building gave the regional campus a needed science facility, allowing for new classes, such as organic chemistry. Features: labs, high-tech classrooms, interactive technology, collaborative areas. Cost: $32 million. Opened: Aug. 2021.
Key supporters are highest-level donors with buildings or prominent features named after them.
