Significant updates on the Athens campus

This article was previously printed in the Spring  2021 issue of Ohio Today .

Whether your last visit to the Athens Campus was one year ago or decades ago, you’re bound to notice some change. The past year has seen significant transformations—some quite prominent and others a little more behind the scenes.

Richland Avenue Pedestrian Passageway

In October, the city of Athens, in collaboration with Ohio University, completed construction on the Richland Avenue Pedestrian Passageway. The project elevated Richland Avenue and created a wide and well-lit walkway beneath it, connecting OHIO’s West and South Greens, separating pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and eliminating a long-standing campus safety concern. To read more about this project, please see this OHIO News article.

29 Park Place

After housing Ohio University presidents for more than 60 years, 29 Park Place is now the University’s new Academic Engagement Center. The historic home underwent renovations and ADA improvements and will house the Center for Campus and Community Engagement, the OHIO Honors Program, and signature academic engagement programs like the Cutler Scholars and Ohio Fellows programs.

Konneker Alumni Center

Alumni’s home on the Athens Campus now has a new ADA-accessible side entrance. Interior renovations include a new ADA-accessible restroom, lower level improvements, HVAC updates, new windows and paint. Thanks to a gift from Dr. Wilfred Konneker, BS ’43, MS ’47, HON ’80, and Ann Lee Hancock Konneker, HON ’80, the building was dedicated 40 years ago this October.

To see photo slideshows of the Richland Avenue Pedestrian Passageway, 29 Park Place and the Konneker Alumni Center, please see this issue of Ohio Today.