Columbus College of Art and Design hopes to raise $20 million to solidify its financial future and “reimagine” its downtown campus.

The fundraising campaign, which is still in the early phases, follows the approval of the college’s new, five-year strategic plan.

Along with adding an academic building at the northwest corner of Gay Street and Washington Avenue, the plan includes supporting the professional growth of faculty and staff, building on academic offerings and boosting partnerships with local businesses.

The new building will result in the demolition of Battelle Hall at 101 N. Washington Ave. and take over an existing surface parking lot just south of the site.

CCAD President Melanie Corn said that portion of the plan is “an important upgrade of academic space on campus, but also serve as a hub for something that is central to our mission, and that is our community connectivity.”

“We have an opportunity to densify the campus around our core and central quad at the ART sign and create a little bit more of a residential campus feel, while still being an urban campus, which is very important to us,” Corn told us.

The new academic building will be funded through the campaign as well as proceeds from the future sale of the Amelita Mirolo Fine Arts Building and Circle Hall near the intersection of Spring Street and Grant Avenue.

Selling off those facilities would consolidate the campus between Broad and Long streets, with a western border of Grant Avenue and eastern border of Washington Avenue.

The college has been planning to sell those buildings for several years. “We are looking at that perhaps a little sooner than we thought we might because of the pandemic,” Corn said.

“We’ve been blessed with a great plethora of buildings, but most of them have been acquired over a number of decades and not necessarily purpose-built for us.”

Corn said the strategic plan includes opportunities to modernize facilities and technology, which is increasingly important for art students working on cutting-edge projects.

CCAD also plans to do some renovations within the Design Studios on Broad, located in the old Byers Chrysler building at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Broad Street.

“We are going to build out space on the first floor of that building that will serve as a hub for our continuing professional studies and new master’s of professional studies (programs),” Corn said.

The college’s strategic focus also will include a long-term plan for residential facilities. One of CCAD’s two residence halls was built in the early 1980s, and Corn expects a new facility will be needed in five to 10 years.

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