12.2008
CITY AND OSU OPEN NEW POLICING CENTER
"Call The Roll" - The Columbus City Council
Councilmember Andrew J. Ginther, Mayor Michael B. Coleman and OSU President E. Gordon Gee joined community partners to celebrate the opening of the Moody Hall Neighborhood Policing Center, which will serve the University District and Weinland Park areas. The joint safety office at 248 E. 11th Ave. will house police officers at the location that formerly contained multiple residential units. The facility is named in honor of Bill Hall, OSU’s former vice president of student affairs who passed away in 2005, and former Mayor Tom Moody, who passed in November.

“The legacy and contributions of Mr. Hall and Mayor Moody are embodied in the new policing center, intended to serve as a focal point for community involvement and the continued development of the University and Weinland Park neighborhoods,” said Ginther, who chairs City Council’s Public Safety Committee. “This building will not only make our city safer, but it will bring students, residents and police together to promote the quality of life in the neighborhoods and foster a unique spirit of collaboration.”

The $4.6 million, 16,000-square-foot facility was jointly funded by Ohio State University and the City of Columbus. It will serve as a unique, innovative safety center, housing Columbus police, OSU police, a Community Crime Patrol office and a neighborhood pride center. The building has been certified for Leadership in Environment and Energy Design (LEED) because of its energy-saving attributes. LEED is a national accreditation system that recognizes buildings that are constructed to save energy and protect the environment.

“This facility is a tangible example of the power of partnerships,” said President Gee. “By pooling the talents and resources of the city, the surrounding community and Ohio State, we are helping to ensure a safer and more productive environment in which to live, study and work. I am grateful to our students, to our neighbors in the Weinland Park area, and to countless others who are bringing their vision of a more vibrant community to life.”

Columbus invested nearly $2.4 million and Ohio State invested $2.2 million in the project, which was constructed with input from area residents, neighborhood groups, university businesses and student government organizations. Columbus police will be moving 56 officers to the new site from the precinct four substation at Arcadia and Deming Avenues, on the northern edge of the University District. Fire Station #13, located at that site, will remain.

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