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Columbus State investing $50 million to modernize classrooms

Campus News | Tuesday, October 29, 2024

College prepares to upgrade Franklin Hall, the largest classroom project to date in renovation program

Columbus State is investing more than $50 million in major classroom renovations on its downtown Columbus campus, highlighted by the full-building renovation of Franklin Hall for general instruction and other projects to create specialized labs for semiconductor and biotechnology education.

The $35 million Franklin Hall project will transform the three-story, 42,000-square-foot building into a dedicated instructional center, with modern classrooms and labs designed to support active, collaborative teaching and learning. The building will close for a year, starting in summer 2025, so that the interior can be redesigned from the current mix of offices and classrooms. The project will also address significant deferred maintenance issues in the 46-year-old building.

“The new Franklin Hall will meet the needs of our students now and into the future, with classrooms configured for the best learning experience,” said Columbus State President David Harrison. “This project is another example of Columbus State’s student-first mission, a demonstration of how we are stewarding public funding to advance teaching and learning. These projects are making Central Ohio stronger.”

The Franklin Hall project, which will be funded through a combination of Franklin County bond support and state capital dollars, is the college’s largest classroom renovation project to date. Columbus State’s modernization program also includes specialized engineering technology labs, upgrades to other general classrooms and the expansion and renovation of the college’s Automotive Technology program. 

The college is finalizing a study that will determine the details of the Franklin Hall project, including classroom sizes, technology needs and other factors. MA Design has been selected to provide design services, and the college is finalizing the selection of a firm for construction-manager-at-risk services. The building is expected to reopen by Spring 2027 semester, creating additional flexibility as the college continues to upgrade other classrooms on campus.

Other significant upgrades to Columbus State’s teaching and learning spaces include new engineering technology labs to support the wave of semiconductor, biotech and EV/clean energy manufacturers locating in Ohio, general classroom updates in existing campus buildings, and the creation of an expanded home for the college’s automotive technology program.

Details of classroom renovation projects

  • A new Vacuum Systems lab, in use as of summer 2024, is supporting the semiconductor certificate program that Columbus State built in preparation for Intel and other manufacturers. Vacuum Systems is a critical technology in the semiconductor manufacturing process, and the specialized lab will prepare students with needed hands-on training. This $200,000 renovation also included $108,000 in new equipment funded through a state Super RAPIDS grant.
  • Columbus State has created a Basic Mechanisms and Drives lab that is a critical part of the college’s semiconductor certificate program as well as its engineering technology degree programs. This lab will be the hub for learning about energy/power transmission through mechanical, electrical and fluid systems. Students will have hands-on experiences with motors, drives, hydraulics and pneumatics. Construction of the $900,000 project, including the lab and related IT infrastructure, is being completed in autumn 2024.
  • A new bioscience lab will provide students in the college’s biotechnology and nanotechnology programs with access to an environment that emulates job sites in this fast-growing industry. Construction began this summer on this $1.8 million project, which is to be completed early in 2025.
  • The college upgraded nine general instruction classrooms over the summer in the second phase of a program to upgrade the technology, furniture and learning environment in existing buildings. The first phase took place in summer 2023, improving classrooms in four college buildings. Collectively, these upgrades total more than $900,000.
  • The college’s Automotive Technology program’s academic home will be expanded and modernized in a $15.6 million project that will mirror the job sites where automotive technicians work. Construction is expected to start in mid-2025 and be completed by the end of 2026.

Beyond the upgrades to existing college buildings, Columbus State is also investing $66.5 million to build the OhioHealth Center for Health Sciences as part of the college’s plan to double enrollment in nursing and four other key healthcare fields. Columbus State will fund this 80,000-square-foot classroom building with Franklin County bond proceeds, while utilizing an endowment from OhioHealth to expand and sustain academic programs at the college.   

 

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