Before changes to The Ridges property are made, Ohio University will take into consideration feedback from a task force composed of faculty and Athens representatives.
OU President Roderick McDavis announced the new structure for discussing the future of the property Thursday, which will include two committees working to create a new “master plan” for the complex.
The Ridges Advisory Committee will begin meeting in the fall and will provide feedback for The Ridges Master Plan Committee.
“I am confident that The Ridges Advisory Committee and The Ridges Master Plan Committee, working hand-in-hand with members of our community, will achieve innovative solutions related to the future use of this cherished property,” McDavis said, in a news release.
The Ridges Master Plan Committee, co-chaired by Associate Vice President for Facilities Harry Wyatt and Director of University Planning Shawna Bolin, will consider uses and renovations of the complex, taking the feedback from The Ridges Advisory Committee and open forums into account.
Although The Ridges’ Master Plan Committee is currently comprised entirely of OU faculty and administrators, there is room for other members on its subcommittees. The Ridges Master Plan Committee has three subcommittees, including academic programming, existing building strategy and land use and development.
“I think anybody that comes onto that committee with a predetermined idea of what should happen has closed their minds to the opportunities and difficulties that present themselves,” said Ben Stuart, chair of the Existing Building Strategy subcommittee and a professor of civil engineering. “The initial job of the committee is to get facts.”
No timeline for conceiving The Ridges Master Plan has been created yet, but Wyatt said he expects it to take anywhere from six to nine months, and he hopes to have it done by the end of the academic year.
As one of The Ridges Advisory Committee’s Athens representatives, County Commissioner Charlie Adkins said he was excited to receive a letter from McDavis about three months ago, asking to serve on the committee.
“I do understand we can’t save it all, but every piece of it we can save I’ll be advocating for that to happen,” Adkins said.
Ron Luce, director of the Athens County Historical Society & Museum, said he does not think the Athens representatives in the committee will have much power.
“It is exactly what I knew it would be, which is a nice display, and we’ll see if anything comes from it, but I don’t have much faith,” Luce said.
Legislation passed over the summer changed the structure of The Ridges Advisory Committee — including putting OU’s president in charge of the group.
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— Will Drabold contributed to this story.
