The city plans to achieve its goal of becoming a premier sports destination by hosting a variety of recreational sports, events and tournaments.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dublin will soon acquire about 250 acres of land along Cosgley Road in the West Innovation District and plans to turn part of it into a “premium sports destination.”
10TV’s Angela Ann spoke to Dublin City Mayor Megan O’Callaghan, who said the land purchase furthers the city’s long-term vision.
In total, 243 acres of land was purchased and includes Carter Farms, Sheppard Excavating and Sports Ohio. The transaction was valued at $44.6 million, and the city expects to complete the land transfer within about a month, O’Callaghan said.
As part of the plan, Dublin plans to focus on transportation, infrastructure and recreational needs rather than housing and business development.
Mr O’Callaghan said one of the council’s visionary aims was to make Dublin a popular holiday destination.
“This acquisition allows us to leverage the existing Daly Field and SportsOhio to further develop and further establish Dublin as a premier sports destination,” she said.
The city plans to achieve its goal of becoming a premier sports destination by hosting a variety of recreational sports, events and tournaments, and attracting investors and tourists from across the country.
As part of a management agreement between the city and SportsOhio that is being negotiated, SportsOhio will continue to manage the facility in a manner that is “generally consistent with the manner in which it is currently operated.”
“we, [the SportsOhio complex] “It will continue to operate for the time being while the city has time to better understand its current operations,” O’Coldgan said, “assess its immediate maintenance needs; identify a timeline for a transition of operations; and also identify potential capital improvements.” [or] “There will be budgetary implications, but in the longer term we also see the possibility of partnering with a sports management company to manage the operations of that sports facility.”
In addition to recreational plans, the city is also considering the possibility of building a passenger rail station.
Land along the railway line was acquired several years ago and O’Callaghan said he was excited to see what would come from combining that with the new additions.
City officials say the Carter Farm site is an ideal location for the development of a future passenger rail station, and studies are currently being carried out for a passenger rail station in west Dublin to explore the feasibility of the project.
O’Callaghan said the owner of Sheppard Excavating Co. has the opportunity to lease back the land the business sits on for a few years to allow time for the construction company to relocate. The city will then consider the land as part of its comprehensive plans for Sports Ohio and the Daly Sports Complex.
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