The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Builds Inpatient Tower

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is constructing a $1.9 billion inpatient tower in Columbus. Designed by HDR, the 26-story building will integrate exceptional environments for patient care with leading-edge facilities for research, medical education, and training. The 1.9 million-sf development will provide 820 private rooms equipped with sophisticated telehealth technologies and entertainment systems, with ample space for visiting family members. Work settings for clinical staff will be concentrated in the inner core of each patient floor to reduce noise and movement in the hallways while still allowing rapid access to respond to patient needs.

Illuminated by natural light, the world-class structure will accommodate a dedicated maternity floor, a neonatal ICU, 60 operating rooms, six interventional radiology suites, and a diagnostic imaging hub. Offering 235 ICU beds, the transformative facility will serve as the headquarters for the medical center's neurology, obstetric, gynecology, and critical care services, as well as housing the liver and kidney transplant teams. An outdoor seating terrace on the second floor will promote healing and relaxation. An enclosed pedestrian footbridge will enhance connectivity to a 1,900-vehicle parking garage, and a physical link will be created to the adjacent James Cancer Center. The existing emergency department will also be renovated and expanded to increase capacity.

Delivered by a joint venture of Turner Construction and The Walsh Group, the sustainable development is targeting LEED Silver certification. Other project team members include BR+A Consulting Engineers, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, HNTB, Design Group, and Engineering Economics, Inc. Completion is expected in early 2026. The new inpatient tower is part of OSU's Framework 2.0 strategic plan to advance the institution's clinical, academic, and research missions.