The new Mirror Lake District is officially open.
The Ohio State University began restoring historic Mirror Lake and the surrounding district focusing on safety and sustainability. The overall Mirror Lake District, including Baker Commons, Browning Amphitheater and Oxley and Pomerene Halls, has undergone renovations to create modern learning environments for students and faculty in data analytics, linguistics and the history of art — while retaining its significance, ambience and appearance as an early and iconic area of campus. The experience of walking through the district is now much the same as it would have been throughout the past century, but the facilities have been upgraded dramatically to 21st century standards for safety, sustainability and functionality.
In November 2013, the university began exploring ways to make the lake more sustainable. The restoration returns Mirror Lake to a more natural and sustainable state — closer to its historical form — while emphasizing improved stormwater management, reducing chemical water treatments, increasing overall biodiversity, and more.