Two Ohio post-secondary institutions are bucking the trend of locating new facilities in the midst of urban sprawl, instead choosing to invest in Ohio communities through launching new downtown operations. In both cases, current buildings are being renovated.

Miami University has recently announced that it will be relocating its Applied Research Center to the former Bank One building in downtown Middletown. The Bank One building occupies the primary bank corner downtown, a location of significance to Middletown history. A downtown location was made possible by the use of technologies, primarily fiber optics, that will effectively link the Applied Research Center to the Miami University-Middletown Campus.

In Mount Vernon, city leaders are thrilled with the decision of the Central Ohio Technical College to locate its Knox County campus in the former Colonial Theater building, located on South Main Street. The new facility will be in the same block (on the other side of the street) as The Woodward Opera House, America's oldest opera house, which is undergoing a multi-million dollar restoration. The commitment of COTC to downtown Mount Vernon came as a direct result of coordinated community support and fundraising.  The college has purchased the building, and limited operations will begin there this Fall.

Kudos to Miami and COTC for these outstanding investments in Ohio's downtowns.