Ohio University Police Department to Move to Ridges

The ridges. Photo by Eric Boll.

The Ohio University Police Department will be moving to a new location near the Kennedy Art Museum at The Ridges due to a lack of parking spaces at its current location.

“We are absolutely out of space at Scott Quad," Lt. Tim Ryan of the OUPD said. “We don’t have great parking around the building, and the parking we do have isn’t enough.”

He added that the department's location below the residence hall is not ideal. Often, the officers have to deal with students screaming in the courtyard and throwing things out their windows, he said.

OUPD has already began construction at its new site. Ryan said they expect to complete the move by the end of February at the earliest.

The police, however, may delay their move if construction is completed during fest season because it’s the department’s busiest time of the year, Ryan said.

The building, when completed, will also house several other university offices, said Steve Wood, senior associate vice president and chief facilities officer. The project is budgeted at $15.3 million, he said.

It is unclear what will happen to OUPD's office space in Scott Quad after the move.

Editor's Note: This story was updated to include more detail on the project.