Ohio State University’s SciTech to collaborate with real estate firm

The Ohio State University announced today that the university-affiliated Science and Technology Campus Corporation (SciTech) will collaborate with global real estate company Tishman Speyer to develop a master plan for Carmenton, the university’s innovation district.

As the current phase of construction at Carmenton continues, the university has signed a letter of intent with SciTech to work with Tishman Speyer and lead a visioning process and the creation of a master plan for the next phase of Carmenton. SciTech is a not-for-profit organization to promote research and development of the university’s west campus. Once fully realized, the master plan will lead to the next phase of future construction.

“The momentum at our innovation district has attracted one of the country’s top developers,” said Alex Fischer, university trustee and chair of the Master Planning and Facilities Committee. “Tishman Speyer has a well-earned, international reputation for inspirational and connected communities. We are so excited to see this plan unlock the full potential of this vibrant new district in partnership with the university, JobsOhio and the City of Columbus.”

Tishman Speyer is a pre-eminent builder and a trusted placemaker for the world’s leading companies, institutions and cities. The firm, which has delivered more than 50 million square feet of mixed-use development and redevelopment projects over the past decade, has earned an international reputation for its innovative approaches to architecture, interior design, sustainability, healthy live-work environments and best-in-class tenant amenities.

Tishman Speyer is currently working with the San Francisco Giants on the creation of Mission Rock, a new 28-acre mixed-use development on the Bay Area waterfront, and with Harvard to develop the forthcoming Enterprise Research Campus across 14 acres in the Boston region. Other major mixed-use collaborations include Hazelwood Green in Pittsburgh and Tailgate City in San Diego.

“We are building a community at Carmenton to spark the innovation and creative thinking that Ohio and the world need now,” said Jay Kasey, senior vice president of Ohio State’s Office of Administration and Planning. “The university, SciTech and Tishman Speyer will all play key roles in this process with input from our community partners.”

SciTech and Tishman Speyer will pursue an ambitious timeline to present a vision for Carmenton. Planning sessions with university leaders, SciTech and Tishman Speyer are beginning this month. Visioning sessions between internal and external stakeholders are expected to occur through the first half of 2023.

“Innovation and collaboration are foundational to Ohio State’s aspirations for Carmenton,” said Tishman Speyer CEO Rob Speyer. “We look forward to working with the university, SciTech and the local community to produce a collective vision for a vibrant, welcoming and authentic neighborhood.”

Carmenton brings private, public and academic sectors together to exchange knowledge, understand problems that seem insurmountable, develop new technologies and accelerate delivering solutions to the market and the world. Work continues on the current phase of three university-led projects: the Interdisciplinary Research Facility, The James Outpatient Care, and the Energy Advancement and Innovation Center. The next phase of Carmenton includes a mixed-use development to offer the district a community that exists beyond the traditional workday, including places to live, dine and play.

“Ohio’s three Innovation Districts offer a generational opportunity to positively impact lives and advance science while incubating exciting new ideas and bringing them to market. When fully realized, the innovation district at Carmenton will serve as a place for entrepreneurial energy and world-class innovation right here in Central Ohio,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef.

“This project is not just important but crucial to reach our goals as a region,” said Kenny McDonald, president and CEO of the Columbus Partnership and a member of the SciTech board. “We have the opportunity to create an energetic home for innovators and a new university neighborhood with unlimited potential.”

“Convergent research solving the world’s most complex problems featuring collaboration from Ohio State, industry and our community partners will find a home at Carmenton,” said Peter Mohler, Ohio State’s recently announced interim executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge. “We’re looking forward to starting the next phase of this incredible development.”

When fully built out, Carmenton will cover more than 270 acres and will be designed to merge entrepreneurial, corporate, academic, research and health care communities in collaborative spaces and programs.

“This is an exciting opportunity. The master plan is expected to include space to live, play and innovate and create a neighborhood that feels vibrant and welcoming – to attract and retain talented people,” said SciTech President Amanda Hoffsis.

The district’s name comes from the university’s alma mater, “Carmen Ohio,” which can be translated to mean “Song of Ohio.”

This year is monumental for the district. The Interdisciplinary Research Facility is set to open this summer and will include the new Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, where researchers will explore how to use the body’s immune system to fight cancer, and the Chlapaty Laboratories focused on cardiovascular innovation.

The Energy Advancement and Innovation Center, a space for Ohio State researchers, students, local entrepreneurs and industry experts to partner on the next generation of renewable energy, artificial intelligence and smart systems, is expected to open in the fall. And The James Outpatient Care, which will offer comprehensive cancer care, from diagnosis to treatment through survivorship, and expand patients’ access to clinical trials, is also expected to be finished this year.