The long-empty Big Lots corporate campus on East Dublin-Granville Road just got a new lease on life, at least on paper. Columbus City Council on Tuesday signed off on a rezoning that clears the way for a hospital or other medical facilities on the roughly 25-acre property, giving OhioHealth room to explore a major health care project on the vacant site.
What City Council Just Greenlit
The ordinance reclassifies the parcels at 4860–4900 E. Dublin-Granville Road under application Z25-036 to allow hospital and related accessory uses. The rezoning covers about 24.71 acres, according to the City of Columbus. The Columbus Development Commission had already recommended the change back in February, according to its agenda.
With the vote, what has been a dark, largely idle corporate campus is now positioned as one of Columbus’ most likely large-format medical redevelopment sites, even if the specifics are still very much in flux.
How OhioHealth Ended Up With the Keys
OhioHealth acquired the property after Big Lots agreed to sell its headquarters during bankruptcy proceedings, a deal first reported by Columbus Business First. The transaction included two sizable buildings constructed in 2017: a four-story office structure and a larger distribution and garage facility.
Those buildings are modern enough that they could be adapted for outpatient, emergency, or inpatient care, according to the reporting, giving OhioHealth a ready-made shell rather than a pure ground-up project. The purchase also plants the health system firmly in the New Albany/Dublin corridor as it studies where and how to add more capacity.
OhioHealth Still Weighing Its Options
Even with the zoning hurdle cleared, OhioHealth is not promising an immediate hospital build. Planning facility director Doug Scholl told city commissioners that "we're currently studying use for the future of the site" ahead of the vote, as reported by WCMH.
County records and prior reporting show the purchase agreement was reached in January 2025 and closed in April. OhioHealth representatives have told city staff they are evaluating a range of medical uses rather than locking into a single concept this early. For now, the rezoning mainly removes a regulatory roadblock so the health system can dig into design and technical studies.
What Happens Next For The Site And Neighbors
Before any construction crews show up, OhioHealth will have to run a full permitting gauntlet. That means submitting detailed site plans, securing building permits, and clearing technical reviews focused on traffic, stormwater, and parking. All of that moves through the city’s standard review process.
The current application remains under review and is expected to trigger public notices and hearings, giving neighbors and other stakeholders a chance to weigh in. The potential hospital project also fits into a broader pattern of former Big Lots properties getting a second act in Columbus - from grocery stores to medical facilities - a trend highlighted when Big Lots properties finding new life reshaped another local strip.
For northeast Columbus, the rezoning is a meaningful step that could eventually deliver new health services and jobs, though residents should expect a multi-stage process before any visible changes on the ground. Updates will follow as OhioHealth files site plans or posts public hearing materials and other documents in the city’s portal.
