The college received a $1 million loan from the Ohio Department of Higher Education to demolish Health Technologies Hall and Bicentennial Hall.
Owens Community College has received a $1 million Strategic Square Footage Reduction state loan from the Ohio Department of Higher Education to support its campus transformation. The funding will allow for the demolishing of Health Technologies Hall and Bicentennial Hall, which were rendered obsolete with the opening of the new Healthcare Education Center in 2025. The plan for the site of the soon-to-be-demolished buildings is still uncertain.
According to an article on Owens Community College’s website, Dr. Dione D. Somerville, who serves as the president of Owens Community College, was quoted as saying of the history of the buildings, “These buildings helped shape generations of healthcare professionals and represent an important chapter in our history. We honor that legacy while recognizing our responsibility to prepare the college for the future. Our students now learn in state-of-the-art facilities designed for modern healthcare education, and the state investment allows us to continue transforming our campus in ways that best serve students and our region. As we look ahead, we have an opportunity to create a stronger sense of place from the moment someone enters campus. We want every student and visitor to immediately know they have arrived somewhere special.”
Health Technologies Hall and Bicentennial Hall were long the hub of health and nursing education at Owens Community College. Health Technologies Hall, which was built in 1974, stands five stories tall and is marked by the iconic “O” on top, donated to the college by Owens-Illinois in 1979. Bicentennial Hall was completed in 1976 and featured additional nursing classrooms, laboratories, and instructional spaces to complement the spaces offered by Health Technologies Hall.
The space at which Health Technologies Hall and Bicentennial Hall sit was originally called The Barn, a renovated farm outbuilding where Owens Community College began offering classes in 1965.
While Health Technologies Hall and Bicentennial Hall closed to the public in 2025, the college has continued to pay $217,000 per year to maintain the facilities. Thanks to the awarding of the $991,495 Strategic Square Footage Reduction state loan from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the college will be able to demolish the buildings and reallocate the maintenance costs elsewhere. Demolition is expected to begin the fall.
Planning is still underway for what will replace the demolished buildings. Among the contenders are enhanced landscaping, a welcoming campus gateway, and a signature Owens landmark.
For more information about Owens Community College, visit the school’s website.