825 Tech Center Drive

Project Materials & Updates

Update: November 4, 2022

The City continues to reimagine the future of our city facilities as we move forward with our eventual move into the building located at 825 Tech Center Drive. In September, City Council unanimously approved the purchase of the building, which will become the home of the Gahanna Division of Police Headquarters, Gahanna City Hall, and the Gahanna Senior Center. This week, the City issued $8.5 million of short-term capital facility notes. Proceeds from the sale of the notes will be used for the building purchase, which is expected to be finalized by mid-November. In the meantime, the next phase of the project is moving forward, as Council approved the Administration's request to engage Michael Schuster Associates, Inc. to begin architectural and engineering work on the facility. The City is now in the process of selecting a construction manager who will work in conjunction with the design team. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

July 20, 2022

View our Facilities for the Future Video for important background information.

Over the last two years, City leaders and staff have been evaluating facilities as part of a long-term capital improvement plan. City facilities have long been identified as being inadequate to meet operational needs for service delivery. The building at 825 Tech Center Drive would enable the City to meet many needs for decades to come by accommodating three facilities in one: Police Headquarters, City Hall, and the Senior Center.

An analysis of City facilities was first done in 2005 and 2006, which concluded that the City needed more than 100,000 square feet of additional space to meet operational needs at that time. A second assessment, done in 2017, found that a majority of the City's facilities, including Police Headquarters and City Hall, were rated "fair" to "poor" based on 27 different criteria. A third study, presented to City Council in October 2021, reaffirmed the needs identified in the previous two assessments.

Beginning in January 2022, the City's Administration hosted four public workshops with Council to discuss the details of the three reports. While exploring options to address the needs that were identified, the opportunity of 825 Tech Center Drive presented itself.

The building at 825 Tech Center Drive is a 100,000-square-foot Class A office building. If acquired, the City would renovate the facility and build a 31,000-square-foot addition. This newly envisioned complex would have the capacity to house all City services currently located on South Hamilton Road for decades to come. After identifying this option, the City engaged a consultant to verify that the facility would meet both existing and future operational needs and to develop a detailed cost estimate for the project. Based on the numbers provided, this approach to addressing facility needs would save the community in excess of $35 million.

Issue 12, which was overwhelmingly approved by voters in May 2019, was intended to provide funding for long-term capital improvement projects such as streets, playground equipment, trails and city facilities. This would serve as the funding mechanism of this project without the need for any further taxpayer support.

To review the facilities studies, workshop presentations, and the latest schedule of upcoming discussions, visit our Facilities Resources page.