Buckeye Village Community Center Breaks Ground

Offering up sand-shoveling expertise, several children attending The Ohio State University Child Care Center helped University leaders break ground today for a new community center for Buckeye Village.

A vibrant family housing community for Ohio State students, Buckeye Village has a large international population that will benefit from the addition of a community center. “The center is all about family and collaboration,” said William H. Hall, vice president for student affairs at Ohio State. “It will be a wonderful place for community gatherings and multicultural activities that will enrich the experiences of Buckeye Village residents and other members of the Ohio State community.”

The center will also provide quality child care, as well as minority assistance programs and resources. One of these programs is ACCESS, which assists low-income single parents in earning their degrees from Ohio State.

“By providing space for ACCESS programming close to participants’ homes in Buckeye Village and in conjunction with child care, the community center will be a great addition to the ACCESS program, as well,” Hall added.

Also participating in the groundbreaking ceremony were Ohio State President Karen A. Holbrook and Kay Bea Jones, associate professor, Knowlton School of Architecture. The new facility is a joint initiative of the Office of Human Resources, the Knowlton School of Architecture, the Office of Minority Affairs, and the Office of Student Affairs.

“College studies are demanding, and scheduling classes, studying for tests, and writing papers can be especially difficult for students who also are single parents and living on a low income,” said President Holbrook. “The Buckeye Village Community Center will provide these students with a supportive environment that offers childcare, mentoring, financial planning, employment assistance, and other services. It is a sound investment in their future and in our community.”

Thanks to gifts from such families as Herb and Marilyn Minkin of Columbus, Ohio, and Fort Myers, Fla., and Bob and Tammy Schulze of Dublin, Ohio, the new facility will also offer a park-like setting, a “village square” area that will accommodate a wide range of activities, and such 24-hour amenities as computer rooms, laundry facilities, meeting rooms, and music and recreation spaces.

Contacts for additional information:

• Roger Addleman, director of communications, University Development, (614) 292-3647 or addleman.1@osu.edu.
• Kay Bea Jones, associate professor, Knowlton School of Architecture, (614) 292-9449 or jones.76@osu.edu.