Ronda Barber

This event will be held September 28, 2022 at Wolfe Shelter House located at 105 Park Dr., Columbus, OH 43209 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Attendees will meet teams from the City of Columbus and Pizzuti Solutions, learn more about the Creative Campus project and anticipated project timelines.

The Creative Campus CMaR Request for Qualifications will be due in late October 2022. Preconstruction Services is tentatively scheduled for March 2023 and has a 20% MBE/WBE participation goal.

The project description is as follows:

• This facility will be located on the south side of East Broad Street at 43-51 South Douglas Street on the site of the former Douglas School in Columbus, Ohio.
• The site is approximately 3.91 acres in size and the existing school will be demolished. A new public park will be developed in coordination with creation of the new facility.
• The new building will contain approximately 42,000 GSF arranged on two levels and will provide surface parking for staff and participants.
• The building will accommodate the operations of the Broad Street Arts and Senior Campus, combining aspects of programs previously offered by the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department (CRPD) at separate facilities for Golden Hobby and the Martin Janis Center, as well as provide an expanded and enhanced offering of programs and services to City of Columbus residents.
• A series of flexible studios and activity spaces will be outfitted in the building with the means to support a wide variety of activities, including creation of ceramics, painting, stained glass, lapidary, woodworking, model trains, etc. as well as dance, fitness/ exercise, etc. Other features of the facility will include kitchen and dining space, sales areas for participant created items and related storage. Public art will also be a component of the project.

The scope of work for the CMaR includes:

• Construction Management and Supervision of Trades
• Project Reporting, Cost Estimating and Scheduling
• Site Logistics and Site Management Services (such as site layout and survey control, job trailer procurement, cleaning, waste management, construction labor parking management, off-site material storage, etc.)
• Quality Assurance/ Quality Control
• Design Review Services
• Web-based Jobsite Camera/ Drone Photography
• FFE/Material procurement
• General Labor Services

RSVP at increasediversity.eventbrite.com

The August 1 OhioMBE Bid Board is online here:  https://bit.ly/3BNQkCv  Check out the new contracting opportunities.  Get a text notification when we post new bid notices and RFPs.  Text OHIOMBE to 855-703-0748. 

New plans & specs are available for viewing in the City of Columbus Planroom.  You can view the list here: https://bit.ly/38ZuT4R

Get a text notification when we post a new contracting opportunity.  Text OHIOMBE to (855) 703-0748.

Great job Chief Damita Brown. City of Columbus announces a new certification program for LGBTQ businesses. The Ohio Business Development Center is an official technical service provider to the City of Columbus Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Thanks for the recognition. 

A portion of proceeds from the OhioMBE Awards benefits the Frank. W. Watson Scholarship.

Frank W. Watson was a lifelong advocate for education and minority business.  OhioMBE Publisher Ronda Watson Barber is honoring her late father by establishing The Frank W. Watson Scholarship.

Frank founded one of Central Ohio’s first college access programs in the 1970’s, Tomorrow’s Education Now.  The non-profit Model Cities program assisted  hundreds of Columbus City School students with completing financial aid forms The program also took them on college visits.

In the 1980’s he founded the Central Ohio Minority Business Association to assist minority contractors develop and grow.  Frank  worked tirelessly and was instrumental is developing the state’s Minority Business Assistance Programs and the legislation has established  Ohio’s present purchasing goals.

The scholarship will be awarded to a Columbus East High School student who is participating in either basketball or track& field. An additional scholarship is awarded to another talented high school student.  The scholarship will be used for post-secondary education.

Donations to The Frank W. Watson Scholarship can be made at any Park National Bank or mail to Park National Bank – 800 S. 30th Street – Heath, OH

2016 Honorees:

Tylar Willis
Asa Burke