Columbus Regional Health announces that the organization is working with the City of Columbus to finalize a proposed Comprehensive Master Site Plan for the large portion of agricultural land that the health system owns on the west side of Bartholomew County.

The Comprehensive Master Plan lays the groundwork for what could be developed on the site, and as such, outlines potential for an iconic, activated expansion of the broader Columbus-area community on a section of Bartholomew County that has been experiencing consistent, rapid growth.

For background, shortly after Columbus Regional Health acquired the land in 2018, a multidisciplinary Land-Use Planning Committee was launched to create a vision for the property. The committee – comprised of CRH, city and county government, city planning and engineering departments, and economic development – engaged Design Workshop, an international architecture, economics, and urban design firm to guide the process and conduct a market study.

In addition to healthcare, the market study identified the following main development opportunities:

• Residential
• Mixed-use commercial and retail
• Office space
• Hotel and tourism
• Civic, community, and green space

“This investment by our organization not only aligns with our long-range strategic facility plans, and growth and expansion needs, but also provides an opportunity for CRH to again serve as a catalyst in further transformational community development,” said Columbus Regional Health president and CEO Jim Bickel. “Columbus Regional Health holds a more than 105-year history serving Columbus and the broader region in which we live, work, and play. The collective advancement and cultivation of the region we serve is core to our mission and vision as an organization and we are pleased to launch this work with our community partners.”

City officials will follow their formal process for consideration of adopting this Comprehensive Master Plan, which will launch this spring. Public input solicitation is part of the City’s process.