The Ridges holds a special place in the hearts of Athenians, Ohio University, and every amateur and professional focused on the history of psychiatry in the US. A gorgeous campus of buildings overlooking the Hocking River, OU and the town, this Kirkbride campus is one of the few still standing in the entire country. People are protective of it. And it’s difficult when things change, especially when people may feel those changes are a threat to the integrity of The Ridges.
So, what’s new in the development plan? Firstly – it’s no longer under OU’s control. They’ve partnered with Buckeye Hills Regional Council and Community Building Partners to make this redevelopment/revitalization happen. Is that good? Yes – it’s always a positive thing to have several parties focused on regional public health and development involved in a project. Is it bad? Well, that remains to be seen.
The Ridges
This defunct psychiatric hospital, originally known as the Athens Lunatic Asylum, sits on 700 acres of land that overlooks the Hocking River. Originally developed in 1868 and opened in 1874, the hospital was in use for over a century – until 1993.
The Ridges was developed under a Kirkbride plan, named for Dr. Thomas Kirkbride, who was an innovator in the shift of how mental illness was treated, which began in the mid-1800s. The theory of care was to give people purpose – jobs and roles that would make them feel valued and give them usable skills.
The intention was compassionate rehabilitation. In this approach, the facility itself is a major player in treatment. Serene surroundings and beautiful architecture offered a setting meant to maximize patients’ quality of life while at the hospital.
Kirkbride campuses are easy to spot the moment you see them, and The Ridges is no different. Gorgeous gothic buildings, beautiful grounds and facility buildings that allowed the property to be self-sufficient. We’ve still got The Dairy Barn, which is now an arts center celebrating Southeast Ohio arts and culture.
After it closed, many buildings were repurposed by OU. The Ridges now houses Moving and Surplus, the Kennedy Art Museum, graduate student housing, and mixed-use spaces. Over the last 3 decades, many of the buildings left empty have fallen into disrepair, which spurred the development plan the university originally released in 2015.
The Plan
Since its 2015 launch, the development plan for The Ridges has undergone a lot of editing and adjusting in order to fulfill regulatory requirements, but also to ensure that this important piece of local and national history isn’t ruined. The major points of this development plan include:
Selling/leasing nearly two dozen buildings to the New Community Authority for rehab and redevelopment
- Luxury condos
- Retirement housing
- Low-income housing
Selling 25% of the footprint land to the NCA for redevelopment
- On the condition that 75% of the land remains unavailable for future development
The Reason
Why are we messing with such an historic part of our town? The normal reasons developers always tout:
- The buildings are becoming decrepit and it’s more affordable to do this than to rehab them with OU money.
- This is a continuation of the campus’ original intention: to support and elevate the quality of life of those in our region who are struggling or have special needs.
- Revitalization, conservation, preservation.
- Revenue.
The point of view is that everything is just sitting there, and this is a better idea than simply letting that continue as the buildings keep aging and breaking down.
The Conflict
Here’s the crux of the issue: The Ridges is a huge part of the history of Athens, Southeast Ohio, and psychiatric medicine at-large. It’s a Kirkbride campus – there are only a few of those left. The “empty” land around the building is a part of the original Kirkbride campus and philosophy. It’s an integral part of the history.
And then there’s the history of previous changes to The Ridges not having been accomplished exactly above board (the TB ward, anyone?). There has been a history of citing difficulty restoring the buildings as a reason for gutting them or getting rid of them altogether. So building public trust in this plan has been difficult.
Opposition to the redevelopment is based in the fact that these buildings aren’t going to be restored in a way that preserves original purpose, building materials/methods, etc. It’s all going to change. Support for the plan is based in the promise of more housing opportunities and revenue for the town. Ideally, this development plan really will result in conservation of the campus.The reality is that whether or not everyone is on board, this is happening. With a construction date set for 2025, it’s an inevitability the new campus will look much different than originally. Hopefully at least its original intention will continue on: to improve the lives of those in our area.