The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center University Hospital has been named Project of the Year in the 2026 Building Columbus Awards, recognizing the vision, collaboration and effort behind one of the most significant healthcare construction projects in Ohio’s history.
“This recognition is a testament to the extraordinary people and teamwork that brought the hospital from a vision to reality,” said Kristin Poldemann, associate vice president of Facilities Design and Construction (FDC). “A project of this scale and complexity takes more than great design and construction. It takes trust, disciplined planning, shared accountability and an unwavering commitment to the mission. I’m incredibly proud of our FDC team and everyone who contributed to this effort. Together, we delivered a facility that will transform patient care, education and research for generations to come.”
Columbus Business First’s annual Building Columbus Awards recognize projects that demonstrate excellence in design, development and construction while making a meaningful impact on the community. The University Hospital was selected as this year’s Project of the Year honoree, placing the facility among the region’s most impactful new projects.
For the FDC team, the recognition celebrates years of planning, partnership and problem-solving that began well before construction started in September 2020.
“We knew from the beginning that a project of this magnitude would challenge us,” said Ragan Fallang, FDC executive project manager of the University Hospital. “But we also knew that if we built the right team and trusted the process, we could accomplish something truly extraordinary. Seeing the hospital open its doors to welcome patients and now receive this recognition is incredibly rewarding for everyone who had a hand in getting it across the finish line.”
At approximately 1.9 million-square-feet and nearly $1.9 billion, the hospital represents one of the largest and most significant healthcare capital investments in Ohio’s history. Construction was completed in October 2025, followed by the hospital’s official opening in February 2026.
“The statistics around mega projects are roughly about 80% of projects have schedule overruns and 60% of them have budget overruns. So, to have a project like this at Ohio State be on time and on budget has really been fantastic,” said Poldemann on an episode of the City of Ohio State Podcast.
What truly distinguishes the project is the collaborative foundation established long before construction began. Years were spent building the right team, defining governance structures, establishing shared behaviors and developing comprehensive risk mitigation strategies before the first shovel went into the ground. Rather than solving challenges as they emerged, Poldemann says the project team created a playbook for success that guided decision-making throughout the life of the project.
That preparation proved essential as the team faced the extraordinary complexity of building a new hospital in the heart of one of the nation’s busiest academic medical centers. Construction progressed while patient care continued uninterrupted, with the active James Cancer Hospital directly adjacent to and connected with the new facility. Thousands of patients, visitors, students, faculty and staff continued to move safely through campus every day.
The team coordinated complex utility relocations, infrastructure modernization, phased construction and intricate site logistics while simultaneously managing numerous concurrent projects across the medical campus.
A new parking garage was completed in advance of hospital construction to preserve critical parking capacity for patients and provide dedicated parking for the construction workforce, helping minimize disruptions across campus. At the project’s peak, approximately 1,200 workers entered the construction site each day.
The Project of the Year recognition is ultimately a reflection of the people behind the project and the shared commitment that carried it from vision to reality.
“This project demonstrates how strategic planning, integrated partnerships and a shared vision can deliver a transformational facility that will serve Ohio for generations,” the project submission stated.