Columbus State's $60 million advanced manufacturing hub hits funding milestone
Congress approved $9.5M in federal funding for Columbus State's Ohio Center for Advanced Technologies, completing a $60M financing package for the 100,000 sq. ft. facility. OCAT will train workers in advanced manufacturing, biotech, and IT as employer demand surges across central Ohio.
Columbus State Community College locked in the last piece of a $60 million financing package this week when Congress approved a $9.5 million federal appropriation for the Ohio Center for Advanced Technologies.
The premise is straightforward: central Ohio's high-tech job boom is outrunning its supply of skilled workers. OCAT will focus on advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and IT — the sectors being reshaped by Intel, Honda/LG, Amgen, Anduril, and Worthington Enterprises as they build or expand across the region. The model is essentially just-in-time technical education, moving residents into specialist roles at a pace that matches corporate hiring timelines.
Why it matters
The bottleneck for employers in central Ohio is no longer capital or infrastructure — it's workers capable of operating in highly automated, high-stakes environments. OCAT is a bet that community colleges, not just four-year universities, are essential to solving that.
By the numbers
- $60 million: Total estimated project cost
- 100,000 sq. ft.: Planned facility size
- $9.5 million: Federal earmark (secured this week)
- $20 million: Ohio General Assembly (2024)
- $30 million+: Franklin County bond issue (2020)
The details
The building is planned for the southeast corner of Cleveland Avenue and East Spring Street, adjacent to the under-construction OhioHealth Hall. Moody Nolan will design; Daimler Group is construction manager. Design work begins first half of 2026.
The political backdrop
U.S. Sens. Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno, both Ohio Republicans, championed the appropriation and worked to secure the $9.5 million federal funding. Husted framed it in nationalist manufacturing terms: "You cannot do Made in America without Made in Ohio." Moreno called it "a testament to the unmatched talent and potential of Ohio's workforce."
The bigger picture
OCAT is part of a six-acre redevelopment of parking lots near downtown Columbus. That footprint also includes a new $36 million YMCA with dedicated childcare for Columbus State students — aimed at removing the wraparound barriers that keep non-traditional students out of the tech workforce pipeline. The YMCA is expected to open by August 2028.
The bottom line
Central Ohio's manufacturing and tech surge is only as durable as the workforce behind it. OCAT is the region's most concrete answer yet to who will actually fill the jobs.
