The Weinland Park Collaborative (WPC) has been recognized by the Urban Land Institute Columbus with their 2019 Community Impact Award. OSU Extension, Campus Partners, College of Education and Human Ecology and its Schoenbaum Family Center, Wexner Center for the Arts, Wexner Medical Center and its Moms2B program, Knowlton School of Architecture, and College of Social Work have represented The Ohio State University in the WPC. OSU Extension in the University District, led by program director Susan Colbert and her OSU Extension-Franklin County team, has been a key, on-the-ground partner in the WPC from its inception.
In part, the award states:
"Weinland Park is an example of responsible and respectful integration of a neighborhood—a sustainable development that is exemplary of the ULI mission. The first step in the transformation of Weinland Park was taken in 2003 when The Ohio State University and Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing acquired and stabilized more than 325 affordable Section 8 housing units through effective management and renovation. Recognizing that Weinland Park's proximity to Ohio State’s campus and the Short North neighborhood made it susceptible to gentrification, the Weinland Park Collaborative was formed in 2008 with an innovative strategy. It provided families with affordable opportunities for rental, lease-to-purchase, and homeownership, while making critical investments in workforce development, education, health, and more. Today, Weinland Park is a desirable neighborhood, experiencing its first population increase in 70 years."
Read ULI's news release announcing the award and view their three-minute video explaining the progress in Weinland Park that merited the award.