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Department of Athletics announces Center for Sports Intelligence & Strategy Areas of impact could include roster management, scheduling, scholarships, budgeting and operations The Ohio State Department of Athletics is launching a groundbreaking internal resource designed to elevate performance and support championship-level success across its 36 varsity sports in the rapidly evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics. The new Center for Sports Intelligence & Strategy will bring together a cross-functional team of athletics department administrators dedicated to driving strategic planning, optimizing data-driven decision-making, and fostering collaboration across teams. This innovative unit will provide Ohio State coaches with access to cutting-edge analytics, strategic insights and tools designed to inform and enhance key areas such as recruiting, scheduling, resource allocation and roster construction. https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2025/6/12/general-dept-of-athletics-announces-center-for-sports-intelligence-strategy

A look from above at Siren’s Curse as construction nears completion

City of Dublin planning new multi mile 'destination' trail The city of Dublin is planning a new east-west multipurpose trail that would span the eastern and western borders of the city. The Signature Trail will be an east-west connector trail, beginning near Darree Fields and ending near Sawmill Road (the exact trail alignment has not been determined yet). Compared to a traditional shared use path, the Signature Trail will be more comprehensive and have lighting, art, and other elements. This is a multi-phase project that will involve numerous opportunities for public engagement from planning to construction. You can take a five-minute survey to help the City of Dublin determine priorities for the Signature Trail here: https://telldublin.dublinohiousa.gov/dublin-signature-trail

Match Point Pickleball Club to open large facility on the Far East Side One of the largest indoor pickleball facilities in the world is set to open this fall on Columbus' Far East Side. Match Point Pickleball Club will cater to local players of the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. and host national tournaments. The facility will occupy 125,000 square feet, more than half the 250,000-square-foot warehouse/manufacturing building at 350 McCormick Blvd. With 38 indoor courts, Match Point will have more indoor courts than any other facility on the planet. Match Point will include two combo paddle and pickleball courts, golf simulators, putting areas, locker rooms, a pro shop and a two-story restaurant. The courts will also be padded for players' comfort and include cameras and screens for instant video replays. Match Point will offer court rentals, tiered memberships, classes, pro instruction and organized leagues. Match Point plans to open Oct 1st. https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2025/06/06/new-pickleball-club-coming-to-columbus-could-be-largest-in-the-world/84009749007/

Coca-Cola bottler opens $90 million distribution center at Rickenbacker Industrial Complex The largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States is opening a $90 million distribution center on Columbus' Far South Side. Distributor Coca-Cola Consolidated's new 60-acre campus inside the Rickenbacker Industrial Complex includes a 400,000-square-foot distribution and warehouse facility and two 15,000-square-foot buildings to house equipment repair services and fleet maintenance, the company shared in a news release. The Columbus warehouse, which celebrated the new facility with a grand opening May 14, will handle more than 16 million cases of beverages each year — an average of 75,000 cases a day, according to the news release. The facility is expected to employ 360 workers. https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2025/05/15/coca-cola-bottler-opening-90-million-distribution-center/83540542007/

Columbus developer Daimler Group building 368-unit apartment complex on North Hamilton Road "A 368-unit apartment complex is coming to North Hamilton Road as the Columbus region seeks to add more housing. The Langham at Chestnut Hill apartment complex is slated for a nearly 20-acre undeveloped site at 5295 N. Hamilton Road, north of Chilmark Drive, east of Nafzger Drive, south of a self-storage facility and west of small commercial businesses that front North Hamilton Road. The site is in Columbus but within the New Albany-Plain Local School District. In March, Columbus City Council approved rezoning the property to allow for apartments, council minutes show. The complex, which is being built by Columbus builder Daimler Group, will consist of 23 two- and three-story buildings, planning documents show. https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2025/05/21/368-unit-apartment-complex-coming-to-north-hamilton-road/83417410007/

Jack in the Box and Del Taco say they're eyeing expansion in the Columbus area Jack in the Box, an iconic West Coast burger chain that serves breakfast all day, includes eggrolls on its menu and actually sells more tacos than hamburgers, has its eyes on central Ohio for expansion. The company that owns the 74-year-old restaurant chain already has come to Powell and Whitehall with its other brand, Del Taco. A Jack in the Box representative told The Dispatch that it's seeking new locations throughout central Ohio for both chains. https://www.aol.com/jack-box-del-taco-theyre-181244546.html

Violet Township proposes zoning district to create walkable community around new Meijer As Pickerington plans for a Meijer Supercenter on annexed Violet Township land, the township is proposing a special zoning district that would create a walkable, community-oriented environment on nearly 700 acres surrounding the box store site. Violet Township has proposed changing its zoning code to create the Community Gathering Place Overlay District that would allow for a mix of single-family homes, apartments, townhomes, parks, schools and day cares, offices, restaurants, other commercial businesses and other uses, according to a draft of the amendment. The Violet Township Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing about the amendment at 7 p.m. May 20 at the township's administrative offices, 10190 Blacklick Eastern Road. The site surrounds the 160,000-square-foot Meijer Supercenter coming to the southeast corner of Refugee and Pickerington roads, southeast of Pickerington High School North. Store officials have said construction would likely begin in 2027 or 2028. The overlay zoning district primarily covers land southeast of Refugee and Pickerington roads that is north of Stemen Road. It also includes land northeast of Refugee and Pickerington roads that is east of Heron Xing Boulevard and south of Ribault Drive, as well as 57 acres southwest of Refugee and Pickerington roads. https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2025/05/16/violet-township-aims-to-create-walkable-community-around-new-meijer/83298206007/

Ice arena, pavilion heading to council "After receiving a rezoning amendment for the site in March, the first plans for the Maridel mixed-use development are beginning to materialize after the Delaware Planning Commission approved a development plan and conditional use permit request by the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets on Wednesday for the Performance Impact Arena and Pavilion on the site’s northeast corner. As part of the March rezoning, the 258-acre Maridel subdivision was divided into nine sub-areas, permitting a variety of commercial uses that align with the City’s comprehensive plan and Southwest Focus Area Plan. Subarea A, which spans 13.45 acres on the southwest corner of Sawmill Parkway and U.S. Route 42, is being proposed for an indoor hockey arena and performance amphitheater. The indoor facility would feature three rinks and training facilities for off-ice skills. One covered outdoor rink is also included in the proposal as part of an outdoor pavilion that could host summer concerts and other events, with capacity seating listed at 6,000. The entire facility would span more than 127,000 square feet. During the March rezoning discussions for the entire Maridel proposal, Gingher said the area and pavilion have been modeled after a similar facility in St. Louis. In discussions with the operators of that facility, Gingher said he is confident the outdoor rink can keep ice down as long as the temperature stays at 65 degrees or below, giving them a range from October through February to play outdoor hockey. With the Delaware Planning Commission’s recommendation for approval, the development plan will now go before the Delaware City Council for final consideration. A first reading is expected as part of the next council meeting on May 12, and a public hearing will be scheduled for the June 9 meeting." https://www.delgazette.com/2025/05/09/ice-arena-pavilion-heading-to-council/

Another rendering:

Gahanna developer building 251-unit high-end apartment complex on Morse Road "A 251-unit high-end apartment complex is coming to Morse Road as central Ohio clamors for more housing. Elliott Parc is under construction on a nearly 14-acre undeveloped site southwest of Morse Road and Preserve Crossing Boulevard. The complex, which is within the city of Gahanna and Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools, is being built by Gahanna-based developer The Stonehenge Co. The complex will have a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments in 11 three-story buildings. Complex amenities include a clubhouse with fitness center and community rooms, pool, dog park, rain gardens and constructed wetlands, according to site plans. The development will have two access points on Morse Road, with a right turn lane into the development added to Morse Road, site plans show." https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2025/05/02/gahanna-developer-building-251-unit-apartment-complex-on-morse-road/83350769007/

Biotech firm Amgen adding hundreds of jobs, plans $900M New Albany expansion "Amgen will invest $900 million to expand its New Albany manufacturing facility and add 350 jobs in what is the largest life sciences and pharmaceutical manufacturing expansion in the history of Ohio. The project, announced April 25, will add to the roughly 400 jobs already promised in central Ohio by the biotech company and bring its total local investment to $1.4 billion. The project is on track to be completed in 2027 and spans 418,000 square feet. Amgen, based in Thousand Oaks, California, first broke ground in New Albany in 2021 on a 270,000 square-foot pharmaceutical packaging facility that opened in February 2024." https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/healthcare/2025/04/25/amgen-biotech-expanding-adding-jobs-new-albany-central-ohio/83254984007/

The ceremonial launch for the residential development adjacent to Lower.com Field was today in Astor Park. The residential project is a partnership between the Haslam Sports Group and the Pizzuti Companies. Dubbed Residential A Block, the development will have 261 multifamily units - some apartments and some townhomes. Astor Park currently includes a 154,000-square-foot office building with 17,250 square feet of ground-floor retail space, plus a public plaza and park. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/04/haslam-sports-group-expands-columbus-footprint-with-astor-park-residential-project.html

Bank Run — The Shape of Things to Come Bank Run Metro Park, located just off of Rohr Road on the far south side, is founded on the former Hoover Y Park and an adjacent disused quarry site, stretching to a combined 166 acres. The vision for Bank Run moves beyond the typical Metro Park and places greater emphasis on this new park as an event and meeting space. In particular, large events that Metro Parks struggles to host at its existing parks will be welcome and easily accommodated at Bank Run, such as organized 5K runs, festivals and very large picnics. A 5-kilometer trail has been laid out that will wend its way through woodland and around a large quarry lake. Users of the facilities will have an option to have Metro Parks Outdoor Adventure staff provide kayaking or paddleboarding try-it sessions on the lake. Building renovations are underway at Bank Run that will yield two beautiful lodges, each accommodating 99 people for sit-down functions, plus a newly-built 299-person outdoor shelter. All of these facilities will be available for renting separately or in combination. With lots of additional picnic tables and grills and plenty of green space, Metro Parks expects it can accommodate gatherings of up to 10,000 people and more, a far larger capacity than for any of the 20 current Metro Parks. A large stage with electrical connections is being renovated at Bank Run and can be used on site for music performances or presentations. The park is bordered on its northern-side by a beautiful stretch of Big Walnut Creek and trails will lead down to the river bank, where visitors can freely enjoy the scenic views. Acquiring the land that will become Bank Run Metro Park also allows Metro Parks to protect this section of the Big Walnut Creek watershed. Lots more info on Bank Run Metro Park found here: https://www.metroparks.net/blog/bank-run-the-shape-of-things-to-come/

Latest update on the Market Street Extension was released today... According to NA, the project remains on schedule. The city expects work to be "substantially complete by November 2025" A little recap on the project: "In an effort to ease congestion in the heart of town and prepare for future growth, the City of New Albany acquired all of the land necessary to construct an extension of Market Street northeast of the Village Center to connect with Dublin-Granville Road and US 62. As you travel east on Market Street leaving the Village Center, what is currently a dead end at Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road will become a roundabout. The city will extend Market Street northeast from that future roundabout to connect with Dublin-Granville Road. Third Street between Dublin-Granville Road and US-62 will also be reconstructed to provide a seamless flow of traffic from the new Market Street extension to US-62. ...The Market Street extension will feature a beautiful new water feature with wetland plantings. It will also include a new scenic overlook that will be part of a connection to Rose Run Phase II..." Latest construction updates on the Market Street Extension found here: https://newalbanyohio.org/market-street-extension/