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Ben Wirtz Siegel
The University’s development strategy and collaborative efforts to preserve the historic buildings and land at The Ridges passed an important marker on Monday, June 16, when the State of Ohio Controlling Board approved the conveyance of a portion of the area at The Ridges that will ultimately be transferred to the Ridges Community Development, LLC for rehabilitation and development.
The State’s conveyance approval not only represents a significant milestone in the University’s development plan process – it also paves the way for an official property closing to occur later this year following the final review and approval of the formal land transfer agreement by the Ohio Governor’s Office, which is anticipated to be submitted this fall.
Next steps in the months ahead
An official land transfer later this fall would allow a total of 21 currently unused historic buildings and approximately 27 acres of undeveloped land at The Ridges to be conveyed to the Ridges Community Development, LLC, who, alongside the New Community Authority , plans to first focus on mixed-use and community-identified needs, including age-friendly (senior) and affordable housing. Other development plans include live-in artisan workspaces and retail and restaurant opportunities. The New Community Authority, which includes representatives from the City of Athens, the developer, and the University, will have oversight of the development strategy.
More broadly, any new development will focus on affordable, smaller homes, townhouses and loft-style apartments. Additionally, a condominium association will be formed and applied to the historic campus section of The Ridges property in order to maintain the character of the historic space and facilitate general maintenance needs across common spaces, grounds and parking lots.
In total, when combining new development, senior and affordable housing and live-in studios, space for approximately 750 dwellings and housing for nearly 1,700 to 2,000 people is anticipated to be developed at The Ridges over the next several years.
A continued focus on conservation and preservation
Of the 700 acres at The Ridges, approximately 77 percent of the acreage (or around 600 acres) will remain under a conservation easement that restricts and limits new development and ensures community hiking, birdwatching, research and other recreational activities remain part of the area’s collective vision for The Ridges.
Additionally, all buildings currently occupied and invested in by the University will continue to be owned, utilized and maintained by OHIO.
OHIO has led numerous improvement and renovation efforts since The Ridges was transferred to the University by the state in the early 1990s; more than $30 million has been invested since 2015 to provide numerous opportunities for the historic space to be utilized for a variety of purposes by the University, including classrooms, research labs, cultural facilities and more.
The most recent progress across The Ridges is the product of multiple community conversations regarding the future of this historic space and collaborative conversations that have focused on ways to best preserve its buildings and land – the main goal of The Ridges Framework Plan , which was approved in 2015.