Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) has been awarded $1.4 million in capital funding from the city of Columbus, marking one of the largest individual public capital grants in the college’s history. The funding supports the creation of community green space and other amenities on the site of the Center for Creative Collaboration, an interdisciplinary makerspace and collaboration hub set to open on CCAD’s campus in 2026.
The center, which is a renovation and expansion of the existing Battelle Hall at the corner of East Gay Street and Washington Avenue, will support downtown development by providing additional green space to the campus’ eastern edge. The new public green space, along with shade structures and safer pedestrian pathways, will be accessible to all people living in, working in, or visiting the Discovery District.
“CCAD is a creative cornerstone of downtown Columbus, and we appreciate this investment that will bring top-notch making spaces to every single student on campus along with natural outdoor respites for our Discovery District neighbors,” said CCAD Vice President for Institutional Engagement Chris Mundell. “We’re proud that our campus will be an integral part of larger city efforts to create a green and sustainable capital.”
“We’re proud to support CCAD in shaping a brighter, more creative Columbus,” said Council President Shannon Hardin. “The Center for Creative Collaboration is a great investment for campus, but also for the entire city. We’re proud to help by investing to foster a vibrant public space where collaboration can thrive. CCAD’s breathing even more dynamic life into Downtown for students and residents alike.”
The Center for Creative Collaboration is part of CCAD’s distinctive approach to creative education, providing an innovative space for students, faculty, and city innovators to work together via state-of-the-art facilities and creative technology. Such synergistic spaces support CCAD’s ongoing mission to prepare creative thinkers for careers after graduation, an initiative critical to supporting the Columbus region’s creative economy, which generates $9.1 billion in economic impact each year, according to the Greater Columbus Arts Council.
“Artists and designers are key to the success of most businesses. Solving organizational, environmental, and societal problems requires a creative mind at the table,” said CCAD President Dr. Melanie Corn. “CCAD graduates a new class of creatives every year whose contributions are essential to supporting the Columbus workforce.”
The majority of additional funding for the Center for Creative Collaboration will come from CCAD’s ongoing comprehensive campaign Here For Change: A Campaign for The CCAD Way. Learn more about the campaign here.
Media contact: Renee LeGendre, Director of Communications, [email protected] or 614.222.6162
About Columbus College of Art & Design
Columbus College of Art & Design teaches undergraduate and graduate students in the midst of a thriving creative community in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1879, CCAD is one of the oldest private, nonprofit art and design colleges in the United States. CCAD offers 11 BFA programs, two Master of Professional Studies programs (Retail Design and User Experience Design), and a Master of Fine Arts that produce graduates equipped to shape culture and business at the highest level. For more information, visit ccad.edu.
