OhioHealth Plans $700 Million New Albany Methodist Hospital at Former Big Lots Headquarters Site
OhioHealth announced plans to invest nearly $700 million in OhioHealth New Albany Methodist Hospital, a 600,000-square-foot medical campus in New Albany, Ohio, one of Central Ohio's fastest-growing communities. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2027 and finish in the second half of 2030, with the hospital expected to open in late 2030 with 160 inpatient beds.
The campus is planned just south of State Route 161 near Hamilton Road, at the site of the former Big Lots headquarters. The $700 million figure excludes the property purchase price, OhioHealth said.
OhioHealth Hospital Scope and Design
The 600,000-square-foot hospital will combine 325,000 square feet of reimagined space with 275,000 square feet of new construction. Plans allow inpatient capacity to expand from 160 to 208 beds. The disclosed development cost works out to roughly $1,167 per planned square foot; because the budget excludes land and combines adaptive reuse with new construction, the figure is not a conventional ground-up hospital cost benchmark.
Hospital services will include, but won't be limited to, comprehensive advanced cardiac, neuroscience, stroke and trauma care. More than 140 physicians and advanced practice providers will provide medical services from the campus. OhioHealth said the hospital will add inpatient capacity and high-acuity care on par with that provided at Riverside Methodist and Grant Medical Center, with complete, specific services to be determined as planning continues.
Site and Acquisitions
The former Big Lots headquarters at 4900 E. Dublin Granville Road was purchased by OhioHealth for $36 million in 2025. OhioHealth also acquired an approximately 11-acre parcel at 4960 E. Dublin Granville Road for $22.5 million; whether that adjacent parcel will be incorporated into the hospital campus has not been confirmed. Together, the two purchases total approximately $58.5 million, which is separate from the $700 million development investment.
Growth in the New Albany Market
OhioHealth estimates that 340,000 people currently live within a 15-minute drive of the site. The area sits at a crossroads of growth and connectivity, with a highway and roadway network linking communities across the region.
"Central Ohio is growing and we need to make sure access to high-quality care grows with it," said Steve Markovich, president and CEO of OhioHealth. "New Albany Methodist is a significant investment in the future of this region and in making care more accessible to the families we serve in northeast Columbus and communities north and east of New Albany."
Brian Jepson, president of OhioHealth's Central Market, said: "We're planning for people who live here today and those who will call this area home in the years ahead. That means building a hospital with room to grow alongside the community."
New Albany already hosts a health and life sciences cluster that includes more than 1.8 million square feet of completed or announced development, more than $827 million in private investment and approximately 2,300 jobs, according to city economic-development data. The market also includes Mount Carmel New Albany Surgical Hospital and Central Ohio Surgical Institute.
The hospital is part of OhioHealth's long-term plan to create a network of hospital and outpatient centers in central Ohio so patients can get care closer to where they live and work.
Jobs and Economic Impact
At full operation, the campus is expected to employ about 1,700 people across clinical, support and administrative roles, with annual wages and benefits of at least $220 million. That implies average annual wages and benefits of approximately $129,400 per employee, a figure that spans the full mix of positions.
The project is expected to involve 1,500 to 2,000 construction workers over the course of development, with more than 250 on site at peak construction.
Bill Ebbing, president and CEO of The New Albany Company, said: "New Albany's growth has always been guided by a long-term vision for creating a community where people can live, work and thrive. OhioHealth's investment builds on that vision by bringing greater access to high-quality healthcare, creating jobs and adding another important resource that will serve New Albany and the surrounding region for generations to come."
OhioHealth's Financial Position
OhioHealth reported $610.2 million of operating income and an 8.2% operating margin in fiscal 2026, compared with $702.6 million and a 10.1% margin in fiscal 2025. Net income was approximately $1.5 billion for the year ended June 30, 2026, down from $1.6 billion the prior year. Fitch affirmed the system at AA+ with a stable outlook in November 2026.
About OhioHealth
Based in Columbus, OhioHealth is a not-for-profit, charitable healthcare outreach of the United Methodist Church. Serving its communities since 1891, it is a family of 35,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, with a network of 16 hospitals, more than 200 ambulatory sites, hospice, home health and other health services spanning a 50-county area.
Sources
- OhioHealth Newsroom: OhioHealth Building New Albany Methodist Hospital to Expand Access