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Architect outlines mixed-use framework for Athens Asylum (the Ridges), warns of 'demolition by neglect'
Summary
A preservation architect presented a framework plan for the Athens Asylum (the Ridges), describing a 700-acre campus with about 40–45 historic buildings and recommending mixed-use redevelopment while warning that parts of the west wing face significant deterioration and need timely action.
The preservation architect summarized a 2015 framework plan for the Athens Asylum (commonly called the Ridges), a large historic campus transferred to Ohio University that contains roughly 40–45 buildings on 700+ acres and approximately 700,000 square feet of floor space.
He said the consultant team assessed condition, significance, suitability and adaptability across the campus and recommended a mixed-use approach — housing, retail, offices and cultural uses — rather than a single university use. Citing examples elsewhere (the Grand Traverse Commons and converted cottages such as the Woynowicz Center), he argued the campus can be subdivided and adapted to multiple uses without losing its character.
On governance and financing, the presenter said the State Controlling Board has approved transfer mechanisms to permit development teams to use historic tax credits under a master condominium document while Ohio University retains ownership of buildings still in use. At the same time he warned that the west wing is suffering "demolition by neglect" and that water intrusion is accelerating deterioration; "water is evil," he said, urging timely intervention.
The architect reported developers are organizing parcels to attract investors and hoped new residential development on identified acreage could address local housing needs in Athens, but he emphasized timing is uncertain and that many pieces must align to move large-scale rehabilitation forward.
