The Ohio State University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

In December 2010, The Ohio State University, in partnership with the City of Columbus and Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, created PACT. Together these partners made a commitment to revitalize one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods—the Near East Side of Columbus, home to University Hospital East and CarePoint East, specifically a defined geography within the 43203 and parts of the 43205 zip codes. Funded by the Wexner Medical Center expansion’s $35 million jobs-growth tax incentive from the City of Columbus, Ohio State committed to a $10 million, 10-year investment in the physical and programmatic transformation of the Near East Side. During the organization’s planning phase, PACT organized five subcommittees to provide community-based input and recommendations to be for inclusion in the Blueprint for Community Investment. Comprised of community leaders, local business partners, and community members, planning efforts focused on five topic areas important to the community and central to PACT’s mission: jobs and economic impact; safe, vibrant, and accessible neighborhoods; health and wellness; housing; and, education. As a result of this work, a series of recommendations and priorities were finalized into the Blueprint for Community Investment launched in July 2013. These recommendations have shaped the direction of PACT and guided the focus of investments within the community. Upon launching the plan and completing best management practice research for implementation, the investment partners agreed that PACT had built significant community trust and was best suited to become a nonprofit convener to ensure implementation of the Blueprint. In February 2013, the Ohio State Board of Trustees approved the creation of PACT as affiliated entity.

Today, PACT continues to be supported financially by the original three funding partners with annual operations contributions and remains committed to the following goals for its efforts:

o To promote a healthy, culturally and economically diverse community.
o To be a catalyst for continuing and expanding redevelopment efforts in the surrounding area and promote and protect commercial and retail development within the defined geography.
o To provide and facilitate recreational opportunities for children and families.
o To provide and facilitate education, job training and employment opportunities.
o To include stakeholders in major decisions throughout the redevelopment process.

Currently, there are four main focus areas for PACT’s work: small business and economic development along the Mt. Vernon and Long Street corridors, improvements along Taylor Avenue as a signature gateway, mixed-income housing development and neighborhood safety.

The Ohio State University, in cooperation with The City of Columbus, created Campus Partners for community urban redevelopment (http://campuspartners.osu.edu/). The mission of Campus Partners is to revitalize distressed neighborhoods within the University District of Columbus, Ohio and improve the quality of life for students, faculty, staff, residents and business owners throughout the university community and thereby, reinforce the stature of The Ohio State University as one of the world’s great public research and teaching universities. Since 1995, the university has provided staff and monetary support to Campus Partners, subject to agreements between the entities.

The hallmark of Campus Partners’ work has been a market-based strategy which relies on community planning, a comprehensive approach to neighborhood renewal, partnerships among the major stakeholders and strategic projects that leverage private investment and change underlying conditions in the neighborhoods. Campus Partners supports a number of community-based activities and organizations throughout the year which are open to all faculty, staff, students, and the general public. To facilitate revitalization of the University District neighborhoods, Campus Partners' relies on Planning, Projects and Partnerships to create positive change in the community. These tools allow Campus Partners to address the wide range of needs in the community and build a strong foundation for a successful, sustainable University District.

Currently, there are three main focus areas for Campus Partners' work to-date; the High Street Corridor, the Weinland Park neighborhood and the University District neighborhoods. These three areas reflect the diversity of the University District and each requires a different set of strategies and tools. Efforts in these areas include continued redevelopment and investment of deteriorated locations and properties along High Street; preserve and improve low-income housing, while promoting economic diversity and neighborhood stability in Weinland Park; and improvements in municipal services and public infrastructure in the University District neighborhoods.

Ohio State has partnered with its local, regional, and global community in countless and different ways. For instance, Ohio State has been a sponsored of the non-profit Green Columbus’ Earth Day celebration every year. Additionally, Ohio State supports, organizes, or manages community groups and organizations such as the University Area Commission, City of Columbus, and other government agencies.

Mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations are central to both the definition of outreach and engagement and how the Office of Outreach and Engagement does its work. This office exists to work in collaboration with faculty, staff, students, and units to enrich Ohio State’s partnerships with the community and to embed outreach and engagement into colleges and departments.