Interdisciplinary Research Facility construction approved
The project is an anchor for Ohio State’s future West Campus Innovation District and will house approximately 305,000 new square feet. New renderings provide a sneak-peek at the
proposed five-story laboratory building. The project advances the university’s strategic plan, and Framework 2.0, by serving multiple research disciplines, including biomedical, life sciences, engineering and environmental sciences, among others. In addition, two floors will be dedicated to The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center including its new Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology.
The building will support both wet lab researchers and computational researchers. Each of the five floors of the building will be designed to facilitate collaboration. The project will also include a 29,000-square-foot exterior plaza for event and collaboration space.
The research facility will be co-located with an Energy Advancement and Innovation Center, which promises to be a hub for Ohio State faculty members, students, alumni, ENGIE researchers, local entrepreneurs and industry experts to work together on the next generation of smart energy systems, renewable energy and green mobility solutions. It is a cornerstone of the university's public-private partnership with Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP), which has commited $50 million for the project, including $36.7 million in design and construction costs.
A third project, the Wexner Medical Center Outpatient Care West Campus, will be located south of Carmack Road in the Innovation District, and is seeking a portion of construction approval during the February Board of Trustees meetings.
The $237.5 million Interdisciplinary Research Facility has been under design since April 2018 and will be located west of Kenny Road and south of Lane Avenue. Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2020. The facility is expected to open by the summer of 2023.
In November 2019, Joe and Linda Chlapaty made a transformational $15 million commitment to Ohio State, with $10 million supporting the Interdisciplinary Research Facility and $5 million dedicated to cardiovascular research.
Visit Ohio State Environments to see how development advances the university’s overall mission and Time and Change: Building the Future for major construction updates that support Framework 2.0.
This story was updated on February 28, 2020 to reflect Board of Trustees approval.