Mike Wolanin | The Republic A view of a rendering by Force Construction of their design for the new Columbus Animal Care Services building during a capital campaign kick off event to raise money for the new building at Bespoke Events and Experiences in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
The Columbus City Council on Tuesday took a step toward approving an ordinance that would make way for a new animal shelter in the Columbus AirPark and allow commercial uses through more of the area.
The council voted unanimously to pass the ordinance on first reading. Ordinances must be passed on two readings to be fully approved.
The ordinance would amend the Columbus AirPark’s Planned Unit Development, or PUD, to add “animal shelter” as a permitted use in the AirPark Commerce Center and allow commercial uses throughout more of the AirPark, among other proposed changes.
A PUD is a special zoning designation that allows a property to be developed under a customized set of rules rather than strictly via the standard zoning ordinance. The AirPark PUD has been in place since 2008.
The city council vote comes as local officials plan to start building a new Columbus Animal Care Services facility in the AirPark later this year. The facility will be funded through a variety of city, state and private dollars, and the project is expected to break ground this spring.
Officials have described Columbus Animal Care Services’ current 4,900-square-foot building, 2730 Arnold St., as an “overall dilapidated facility with overwhelming maintenance issues” and “unhealthy and hazardous working conditions for employees.” Some of the issues include overcrowded kennels, maxed-out electrical capacity, consistently clogged drains, faulty exhaust, as well as inadequate ventilation and moisture reduction.
The proposed 21,113-square-foot facility is expected to be built in the Columbus Airpark across the street from the current facility. The new facility is expected to house up to 66 dogs and 86 cats. It is also expected to include a reception area, larger medical intake area, meet-and-greet rooms for all species, office space for employees and volunteer spaces.
The other proposed changes to the PUD are part of an ongoing visioning process called “Great By ‘38,” a new master plan focused on land use at the airport. Columbus Airport Director Brian Payne said previously that the master plan, with 25 goals and 128 action items, is informed by the aerotropolis concept, which essentially is an economic hub based around an airport.
The proposed changes to the PUD include expanding the use of Bakalar Green to include event, gather and play spaces; allowing commercial uses throughout more of the AirPark; expanding the Ray Boll Commerce Center along Middle Road; expanding the allowable area for the community garden and omitting the bicycle and pedestrian side path from the required buffer along the south and east sides of the AirPark.
The AirPark is currently made up of four sub-areas — The InfoTech Park, Education/Life Sciences Center, Ray Boll Commerce Center and AirPlex Commerce Center.
As of now, uses such as a child day care center, convenience market, restaurant, or retailer are only allowed on certain properties generally around the intersection of Central Avenue and Poshard Drive or along Ray Boll Boulevard, north of Poshard Drive.
These are select properties within the InfoTech Park and Ray Boll Commerce Center that are otherwise primarily devoted to office uses. The proposed PUD change would allow commercial uses throughout the InfoTech Park, Education/ Life Science Center and Ray Boll Commerce Center, where they would then be either permitted or conditional depending on the specific commercial use.
However, Payne said previously that the intent is for retail uses to remain primarily at the intersection of Poshard Drive and Central Avenue.
The redefined Bakalar Green, the open space near Middle Road, would include options for a “park facility, performance spaces for events and gatherings, interactive fountains and inclusive play areas tailored for youth, adults and families,” according to city records.
Other proposed changes include the expansion of the Ray Boll Commerce Center along Middle Road, south to the edge of the airport, occupying two additional lots currently assigned to the Education/Life Sciences Center.
The specific area designated for the community garden, along Cessna Drive in the southeast corner of the AirPlex Commerce Center, would also be expanded to the west and include an additional existing lot of about five acres.
The preliminary recommendation from Columbus planning staff was approval with a number of minor conditions related to submission materials.
“The expanded flexibility in locating commercial uses will provide opportunities to support the campus area, the established industries, and the surrounding residential neighborhoods with goods and services,” the staff report reads. “The addition of the animal shelter will further the AirPark as the location of a variety of government services, and the expanded use of Bakalar Green will complement its growth as a center of community gathering and activities.”
Columbus Municipal Airport is the fourth busiest in the state, reaching just under 60,000 operations in 2025, Payne said previously.
Payne said airport officials have been able to bring 14 new businesses onto the AirPark in the last 18 months, including Blue & Company, an accounting and advisory firm; Turnkey Home Solutions; and Walk-Off Warehouse, a 10,000-plus square foot baseball training facility.
