Franklin Park Conservatory North Star Master Plan Columbus, Ohio

Services Provided

Master Planning
Landscape Architecture Parks and Recreation
Construction

People Involved

Jeffery Pongonis
Andrew Overbeck
Richard Mills

Award

2024 OCASLA Honor Award

Master planning for future campus expansion and visitor experience.

MKSK led a multidiscipline team to develop the Master Framework Plan with the Conservatory, to guide capital investments and philanthropic support. MKSK’s work was framed by Gardens Forward, Gardens For All, and is directly linked to the Conservatory’s recently completed Strategic Plan.

After 24 months of community research and visioning, the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens unveiled an ambitious plan to establish itself as a leading botanical garden destination over the next 25 years.

The Conservatory’s North Star Master Plan completely transforms the visitor experience. Big moves include moving the existing entrance from Broad Street to Franklin Park and the Conservatory from its current location to the traffic light at Woodland Avenue and Broad Street; visitors to the Conservatory and Franklin Park will use new centralized underground parking. Additionally, the entrance to the visitor experience will shift westward near the Palm House and Grand Mallway, emphasizing the Palm House’s grandeur and fostering a stronger connection between the Conservatory and
Franklin Park.

This re-orientation promotes synergy between the Conservatory and the Park, allowing visitors to enjoy both locations seamlessly. The plan aims to unite the Conservatory, City of Columbus Recreation and Parks, and the community under a shared ethos by centralizing amenities, enhancing traffic flow from Broad Street, and upgrading security for an improved and safer environment.

Over 15 capital projects include renovations and new construction. Many of these projects aim toward a gardensforward, immersive experience. Some of the projects include the renovation of the John F. Wolfe Palm House and Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse, a new Grand Mallway, North and South Signature Gardens, a new Visitor Center Building with Restaurant and Gift Shop, new Centralized Underground Parking and Rooftop Gardens, new and renovated Biomes, a modernized Main Building, expanded Greenhouse Operations Complex, and the expansion of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden