The historic vote by the Ohio University Board of Trustees in 2011 to acquire 15 acres for the development of the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM) Dublin extension campus (made possible through funding generously provided through the OHF $105 million (2011) award, Vision 2020: Leading the Transformation of Primary Care in Ohio continued a long history of OHIO’s outreach mission to serve the citizens of the state of Ohio dating back to 1909. The acquisition of that 15 acres brought with it a gift of 96.5 additional acres in the heart of the City of Dublin’s West Innovation District where they hope to create a vibrant new community of corporate offices, research, laboratories and clean manufacturing, and institutions of higher education. This opportunity opened the door for Ohio University to expand opportunities in several colleges and partnerships.
The Dublin Framework plan is a “vision” plan intended to offer a comprehensive view for how the campus may evolve over time and is intended to guide future development. This plan will allow the City to review campus in context of the West Innovation district, making approvals of future projects easier. The plan will also be a valuable tool to the University to facilitate decisions on future expansion within the context of the bigger picture.
Several principles for the development of the Dublin campus guide the product of the Framework Plan. Three of these principles are below:
- Establish a vibrant community that provides opportunities for high-impact initiatives and programs that are complementary to the central Ohio community, advance Ohio University interests, and cannot be accomplished in Athens
- Develop a mixed-use environment that supports a vibrant knowledge community
- Advance “OHIO for Ohio” opportunities to build and strengthen regional partnerships with industry, government, and non-profit organizations to foster innovation