City of Columbus, MOFC Announce Transformative Investment in Eastland Area

Eastland Prosperity Center to Offer Help
for Families, Resources for Community

Columbus, Ohio — Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC) and the City of Columbus have announced a historic partnership to strengthen human services in one of the region’s most under-served areas. Speaking at a public event on Oct. 23, Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and City Council President Shannon G. Hardin shared plans to invest $4 million of city funds in MOFC’s Eastland Prosperity Center, helping transform a vacant shopping plaza into a human services hub dedicated to improving community well-being.

“Hunger remains at record levels across many communities and our data shows the Eastland area has the greatest unmet need in all of central Ohio,” said Mid-Ohio Food Collective President and CEO Matt Habash. “This support from the City of Columbus supports the grand vision of the Eastland Prosperity Center to improve the well-being of families across our region.”

Slated to open in 2026, the 67,000-square-foot Eastland Prosperity Center will offer critically needed services on Columbus’ southeast side. The Center will help address the root causes of food insecurity by integrating a free food market, a community health center, city programs, and other critical supports under one roof. MOFC anticipates the Center will serve more than 100,000 people from across the region each year.

The City of Columbus is planning to co-locate essential city services at the Center, including a WIC clinic, the Far East Neighborhood Pride Center, and targeted programs from CelebrateOne to reduce infant mortality. Additional planning and design work continues as MOFC works to finalize additional service offerings to best meet the needs of the community.

“The City of Columbus knows that an equitable city is built from safe, vibrant neighborhoods where every family has the ability to thrive,” said Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. “The Eastland Prosperity Center will help transform the area from a human services desert into a healthier community with opportunity for all.”

Construction is scheduled to start in early 2025 and is estimated to cost $13.5 million. The city’s proposed $4 million investment will be the largest single financial contribution to the project, reflecting city leaders’ commitment to the area. City funds will come from a combination of city capital budget dollars and proposed Community Development Block Grant funding. The remaining project cost will be funded with public, private, and philanthropic dollars.

Columbus is also leading the creation of the Eastland Community Plan, focused on creating a bold community vision to deliver a higher quality of life and a more prosperous future for everyone. Plans for the Eastland Prosperity Center were built around neighbors’ stated desire to increase the availability of fresh food, improve access to health care with a community health center, and connect to wrap-around social services.

Eviction and infant mortality rates in the Eastland area are among the highest in Franklin County, and nearly half of area residents qualify for emergency food assistance. The area’s main grocery store, the former Kroger at 4485 Refugee Road, closed in May 2022. In March 2023, MOFC purchased the shopping plaza and announced plans for the Center, embarking upon a robust, community-driven design and planning process. For more information and updates on the project, visit www.mofc.org/eastland.

“We are moving forward and preparing an expanded model of whole-person support for our neighbors in need,” said Habash. “Together with additional partners and the community, we can build a hunger-free, healthier future for all.”

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About Mid-Ohio Food Collective
Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC) is the largest hunger relief organization in central and eastern Ohio. Through our five assets (the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Mid-Ohio Farm, Mid-Ohio Farmacy, Mid-Ohio Kitchen, and Mid-Ohio Market), MOFC addresses the root causes of hunger while working with more than 600 partner agencies in 20 counties to feed hundreds of thousands of hungry Ohioans every year. Learn how we’re co-creating hunger-free, healthier communities at www.mofc.org.