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Commission continues review of Columbus State’s proposed 80,000 sq ft health sciences building; requests broader campus context
Summary
Columbus State presented plans for an 80,000 sq ft health sciences building at Cleveland and Spring to expand training capacity for nursing and allied health programs; commissioners asked for more campus‑level context and details and continued the application.
City staff and Moody Nolan project leads presented COA2400581, a proposed 80,000 square‑foot Health Sciences building sited on a surface parking lot at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Spring Street on the Columbus State Community College campus. Project architects said the facility will house nursing, surgical technology, medical imaging, respiratory therapy and related labs to support a stated college goal of doubling health sciences enrollment over the next 10 years.
Moody Nolan project architect Hannah Awari and project designer Brian Sell described the site plan, two primary entries (one toward Cleveland Avenue and one toward the campus), an event lawn intended for community partnerships, porches and terraces, and a two‑tone brick palette with warm metal accent panels meant to relate to Mitchell Hall. Kieran Sherry, executive director of planning, design and construction for Columbus State, explained the building’s role in a larger but evolving campus strategy and noted that the college anticipates incremental redevelopment of nearby parking lots over time.
Commission comments focused on context and fit. Several commissioners asked for more explicit master‑plan diagrams and visualizations that place the building within the campus fabric and the future Spring Street corridor, noting the commission had insufficient context to assess how the building aligns with the “canvas” of downtown campus buildings. Commissioners requested clearer entry articulation, lighting strategies for the building’s substantial overhangs, and more definitive material and façade details. One commissioner suggested shifting the building closer to the street to create a stronger urban edge and a larger interior lawn, but staff and the applicant said utilities and right‑of‑way constraints limit placement choices.
Given the need for expanded contextual drawings and refined exterior details, the commission voted to continue the application. Staff and the applicant agreed to return with more renderings showing campus context, updated material samples and window/cornice details.
