Columbus State is about to trade a downtown surface parking lot for a 55,000-square-foot YMCA, after the project won unanimous approval from the Downtown Commission Tuesday. The planned facility will bring fitness, child care and recreation space to a campus area now dominated by asphalt.
The approval makes the Columbus State YMCA the first major project to move forward under the college’s broader downtown redevelopment plan, according to Columbus Business First. The building is planned near East Long Street and North Cleveland Avenue, replacing a surface lot on the downtown campus.
The YMCA site is part of roughly six acres of Columbus State parking lots being redeveloped through Columbus State Community Partners, the college’s real estate affiliate. Columbus State Community College says the area will also include the planned Ohio Center for Advanced Technology, adding to a string of new academic and workforce projects around the campus.
A YMCA With Pools, Courts And Drop-In Child Care
The facility is expected to include an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, fitness center, wellness studios, locker rooms and basketball courts, along with outdoor green space, a walking path and tennis and pickleball courts. The YMCA of Central Ohio says the building will also provide drop-in child care for Columbus State student parents and serve as a learning lab for the college’s Sport and Exercise Studies program.
The building is expected to be owned by Columbus State and managed by the YMCA of Central Ohio. That setup is intended to make the project useful beyond class hours, with membership access for students, employees and members of the public.
Student Fees Will Carry Most Of The $39 Million Cost
College board documents put the project’s total budget at $39 million, with $32 million backed by student fees, $3 million from college bond proceeds and $4 million from the YMCA. The Columbus State Board of Trustees approved development and operating agreements in March, including a 30-year management arrangement with the YMCA.
Students already voted heavily in favor of the plan: 90.8% of participating voters supported a recreation fee of up to $65 per semester. The college’s YMCA project page says 2,347 of 19,107 eligible students cast ballots, with the fee scheduled to begin in fall 2028.
The Downtown Commission’s role is to review development proposals for compliance with Columbus’ downtown zoning code and design guidelines, according to the City of Columbus. A May project update said architectural and construction-management contracts were still being negotiated, putting the project on track for a planned autumn 2028 opening while leaving plenty of work between Tuesday’s vote and the first swim lesson.
For Columbus State, the approval is another step in turning downtown campus land from temporary parking into permanent student and community infrastructure. For downtown residents, it promises something a little more useful than another place to leave a car.
