June 2, 2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The City of Upper Arlington, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the Kingsdale developer, Continental Real Estate Companies, are in discussions to build a 100,000-square-foot health care facility at the Kingsdale development to be leased to the Medical Center.
“This is a great opportunity to bring a high-quality facility to Kingsdale, while at the same time providing Upper Arlington residents with improved access to world-class health care,” City Manager Theodore Staton said. “In addition, the new jobs and tax revenue generated will provide an economic boost to the City.”
The new facility, expected to open in late 2015 or early 2016, would provide local residents with improved access to primary care and a variety of specialties, including: women’s health; heart and vascular care; dermatology; allergy; and imaging and lab services. It would also have conference space that would be available to the city, schools and community for meetings and special events.
“Our surrounding communities are so important to the university,” said Gail Marsh, senior associate vice president at Ohio State. “Together, we can keep our community healthy and work with the city and employers to offer services that benefit both the health and economy of Upper Arlington.”
In 2013, approximately 12,000 Upper Arlington residents sought care at Wexner Medical Center facilities for a variety of primary and specialty care services.
The Medical Center plans to initially utilize 80 percent of the estimated $20 million facility, with the remaining 20 percent reserved for future expansion, Marsh said. She said that, when completed, the facility will employ 155 people. As patient volume increases and services are added, additional jobs would be created.
The initial 155 employees are expected to generate in excess of $320,000 annually in municipal income taxes, while the property will account for about $350,000 in local property taxes each year.
“We’re not just opening a medical facility, we’re making an investment in the community,” said Dan Like, executive director of ambulatory services at the Medical Center. “We want this to be the community’s facility.”
Final terms of the agreements between the city, the medical center and Continental still need to be determined and receive approval from the City Council, the OSU Wexner Medical Center Board and the University Board of Trustees over the next two to three months.
“When the Kingsdale Shopping Center was redeveloped, the Council and Administration were wise to set aside acreage dedicated to facilitating an office development on the south side of the property,” Staton said. “Now more than ever, expanding the professional office and medical business presence in Upper Arlington is critical to our future, in light of significant revenue reductions at the State level.”
Plans for the project will be before the Upper Arlington City Council for the first time tonight at its Council Conference Session. The meeting, which is open to the public, begins a 7:30 p.m. at the Municipal Services Center, 3600 Tremont Road.
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Media Contact: Bob Mackle, Wexner Medical Center Public Affairs and Media Relations, 614-293-3737 or Robert.Mackle@osumc.edu
Media Contact: Emma Speight, City of Upper Arlington Community Affairs, 614-583-5045 or espeight@uaoh.net