Bricker Hall is getting a facelift as crews prepare the space as the new home for the Department of Economics. Crews are currently finishing demolition to prepare for new work in November.
Uncovering and preserving the historic elements of the building is a priority as the space is brought to modern standards for the Department of Economics. The laylight on the third floor was covered during previous renovations, but crews are now uncovering and restoring it.
As another outpatient care center gets approved for construction and new academic and research projects break ground, we kick off season 3 of the City of Ohio State Podcast with Kristin Poldemann, the associate vice president of Facilities Design and Construction to talk about current projects across campus.
A note from Kristin Poldemann, associate vice president of Facilities Design and Construction
The Facilities Design and Construction (FDC) stakeholder insights project kicked off almost three years ago and has been reshaping how we do business ever since.
Three main themes emerged after more than 200+ stakeholder interviews:
Take a bird’s eye view of the 1.9 million-square-foot inpatient tower, which includes up to 820 beds in private-room settings, large windows to enhance patient experience and much more. Hear from medical center CEO and executive vice president John J. Warner, MD, and the construction team about the building’s future impact and current progress.
As highlighted by Columbus Business First, The inpatient hospital is 70% complete with construction.
"Despite inflation, close collaboration and transparency between that huge crew, contractors, administrators and leadership has kept construction on budget and on time for an early 2026 opening," said Kristin Poldemann, associate vice president for Facilities Design and Construction.
As part of the FDC Stakeholders insight project, Loren Brockway and Michael Horejsi led a discussion on managing project development using target value budgeting for FDC personnel. The duo touched on several topics including thinking comprehensively about all elements that drive success through the entirety of a project. It’s all about aligning the budget to the scope and the basis of design earlier to avoid rework later and for the project managers and estimators to collaborate through the entire process.
Four major projects are closing in on completion, with three set to open in the coming months at Carmenton, Ohio State’s innovation district. Hear from Facilities Design and Construction’s Kristin Poldemann about meeting these major milestones and for updates on Arts District and inpatient hospital.
The Lantern recently highlighted Ohio State's efforts to help reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent since adopting sustainability goals in 2015. Facilities Operations and Development's Kristin Poldemann and Aparna Dial highlighted various construction projects that support these goals.
On episode seven of The City of Ohio State Podcast, FOD’s Brett Garrett goes into detail on deferred maintenance. Like homeowners are forced to sink their hard-earned cash into rooftops, air conditioners or other non-aesthetic improvements, Ohio State must invest in vertical infrastructure to keep buildings up and running. Hear the challenges facing aging college campuses, and why Ohio State may be ahead of the curve.
FDC continues its stakeholder insights effort to shape Ohio State’s construction management organization for the future. Work has begun on 18 of the 24 insights initiatives. Below is an update on recent progress:
Transparent Selection Criteria of Design Professionals and Construction Managers