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City staff present OSU land‑sale and EDA amendment for West Innovation District; July 1 public hearing set
Summary
City staff introduced an ordinance to convey about 16.3 acres on University Boulevard to The Ohio State University for $2,934,000 and to amend the city’s economic development agreement to support a minimum 150,000‑sq‑ft medical facility; construction must begin by 12/31/2031 or reconveyance may be initiated. Council scheduled a second‑reading/public hearing for July 1.
Megan O'Kelian, a city staffer, told the Dublin City Council that the city and The Ohio State University have negotiated a real estate purchase and sale, a reconveyance escrow agreement, and a 0.333 amendment to the economic development agreement that would convey approximately 16.3 acres on University Boulevard for $2,934,000—about $180,000 per acre.
The ordinance introduced June 22 would support the next phase of development adjacent to OSU’s existing 272,000‑square‑foot outpatient facility. "OSU commits to constructing a minimum 150,000 square foot specialized medical building," O'Kelian said, tying the new parcel conveyance to an expanded health-and‑wellness campus vision adopted with the original 2019 agreement.
The amendment also extends OSU’s rights of first offer/refusal on nearby parcels and preserves the city’s ability to require easements or rights‑of‑way needed for future multimodal thoroughfare plans in Envision Dublin. Under the proposed reconveyance escrow agreement, OSU must begin construction by Dec. 31, 2031; if it does not, the city may initiate reconveyance of the property.
Council members pressed staff for details about environmental work tied to nearby wetlands and Cosgrove Ditch remediation. "Is there any estimate regarding the cost of that?" asked Councilmember Dr. Lam. Staff responded that permit conditions govern required work and that much of the remediation falls on adjacent parcel D; a firm cost estimate was not available at the meeting.
City staff recommended approval at second reading; the matter was set for a 2nd‑reading public hearing on July 1, 2026. Staff said the OSU board of trustees approved the land purchase earlier in the month and that the amendment is intended to preserve long‑term coordination on roadway alignment and to minimize impacts to the medical campus as future phases develop.
If council approves at the July hearing, the agreements will establish the city’s and OSU’s obligations for easements, circulation, and development timing that together aim to advance the West Innovation District’s site‑readiness and health care campus goals.
