OhioHealth announced it will build 240,000 square feet of administrative office space in the City of Columbus that will consolidate more than 1,600 administrative associates. Additionally, OhioHealth has committed to adding 900 new jobs to the Olentangy River Road corridor by 2024 and will provide at least $7.3 million in additional community benefit over five years, pending final approval of a development and incentive package by Columbus City Council.
This decision was the result of a year-long space/location study and highly competitive process that included potential locations in many of the communities in and around central Ohio.
The new campus will be located in the southeast corner of the intersection of Olentangy River Road and SR 315, essentially across the street from OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital (SEE MAP). The land is already owned by OhioHealth and is currently used for surface parking and as home to the OhioHealth supply chain operations and distribution center.
With the OhioHealth campus anchoring the north end of the Olentangy River Road corridor, coupled with the traffic access and infrastructure improvements, it is expected that the OhioHealth project will be the catalyst for significant future development in the area.
“This is a win-win situation. For OhioHealth, it’s the necessary infrastructure improvement to make this project a reality,” said Zach M. Klein, president, Columbus City Council. “For the City of Columbus, it’s job growth that expands our tax base to help fund public services. For the community, it’s a significant financial commitment to help those battling with drug addiction, whether they are an adult, a new mother or even a newborn.”
Why the Need for New, Consolidated Office Space?
As OhioHealth’s clinical services have grown over the years requiring expansions at several medical facilities, so have space needs in the non-clinical areas. Administrative and support functions are currently spread across 22 locations throughout Central Ohio, including the corporate office located at 180 East Broad Street.
Some of these locations will be consolidated which will:
· be more cost effective than leasing multiple spaces
· improve accessibility for customers, associates and physicians
· position OhioHealth for future growth of the organization
· create noticeable savings from reduced travel costs and productivity loss
· create an attractive workplace environment that enhances teamwork, synergy, culture and productivity
“Just ten years ago, OhioHealth had 11,000 associates and six member hospitals,” said Dave Blom, president and CEO of OhioHealth. “Today, we have more than 28,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, 11 member hospitals and hundreds of locations, with over 50 in the City of Columbus alone. We are very proud of that because it means we are serving more people in more communities, but with that growth has come logistical challenges. We have a rare opportunity here to create an exciting work space that is creative, cost effective, efficient and even inspirational. It’s a significant milestone in our history and we’re very excited about it.”
City of Columbus Infrastructure Improvements and Economic Incentive Plan
The City of Columbus is proposing a package of incentives to retain OhioHealth’s presence in Columbus, help the company grow their jobs in the Columbus Region and improve the transportation infrastructure at the 315 and North Broadway interchange. The City has proposed a Jobs Growth Incentive of 35% for 10 years with an additional rate of 45% for net new employees hired at the project site who are City of Columbus residents. The City is working with OhioHealth to study improvements to the North Broadway and 315 interchange to facilitate access to the new site while at the same time improving access and safety for surrounding neighborhoods and Riverside Hospital. The City will fund these improvements with a combination of Tax Increment Financing, City capital dollars and potential funding from the State of Ohio.
“The City of Columbus is thrilled to deepen our partnership with OhioHealth to bring more jobs to our community, redevelop an underutilized site and help OhioHealth improve its operations,” said Steve Schoeny, director of development, City of Columbus. “Just as importantly, our partnership includes additional long term investments by OhioHealth into our community’s health and well-being.”
Community Benefit
“We are pleased to be working with OhioHealth on this transformative project,” said Klein. “They are the fourth largest employer in Central Ohio and keeping them in Columbus is very important. As a not-for-profit healthcare organization, OhioHealth has always been a vital part of this community because of the quality of the care they provide and the charitable mission to provide that same care to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.”
Last year, OhioHealth provided $278.7 million in charity care and other community benefit programs through initiatives like the Wellness on Wheels clinic that provides pre-natal care to mothers-to-be who might not otherwise have access to it.
In addition to ongoing community benefit programs, OhioHealth has committed to investing $7.3 million over the next five years in community-based health and wellness programs including prenatal care and women’s health services; health literacy; primary care; substance abuse prevention and treatment services.
“OhioHealth was born in Columbus 125 years ago,” said Blom. “And from the very beginning, we have worked closely with city leaders to do what was best for the entire community. That spirit of collaboration is alive and well today as we bring our associates together, in one place, to better serve central Ohio and all of the other communities who depend on us for their healthcare.”
Upon approval by the Columbus City Council, OhioHealth will move aggressively to design and construction. Move-in is targeted in early 2019.
About OhioHealth
OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare organization with Methodist roots. Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth has been recognized as one of the top five large health systems in America by Truven Health Analytics, an honor it has received six times. It is also recognized by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” and has been for 10 years in a row, 2007-2016.
Serving its communities since 1891, it is a family of 28,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 11 hospitals, 50+ ambulatory sites, hospice, home-health, medical equipment and other health services spanning a 47-county area.
OhioHealth hospitals include OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, OhioHealth Shelby Hospital and OhioHealth Rehabilitation Hospital. For more information, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com.
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