Ross County — Plans for an all-new medical complex across US 23 from the hospital has been slowed, but not stopped, since its conceptual start in 2023. On Monday, the Ross County Commissioners signed their part of the development plan by Cohen Orthopedic, and construction is hoped to start this summer.
Two representatives of Dr. Brian Cohen, an orthopedic surgeon in Columbus and Chillicothe, met with the commissioners on April 6th, 2026. (Ross County Planner Devon Shoemaker also provided support.) The short meeting involved many signatures.
I asked the representatives – Chris Wallace of Rudolph Legal, and consultant John Carlisle – to give some context on the “Great Seal Medical Campus” that Cohen is has been planning for 47 acres on River Road across from Adena Regional Medical Center. (Hear them in their own words below.)
Wallace said they were happy the county signed the tax abatement for the project that day, as well as supporting the JEDD (Joint Economic Development District), to allow investment in public infrastructure – for the city, township, and county. Chillicothe Council signed their part of the JEDD last fall.
Wallace said they have also agreed on the “Payment In Lieu of Taxes” (PILOT) to the Zane Trace school district.
He said while the project is getting a tax abatement, it is also an investment with “tax dollars that will be flowing back to the local jurisdictions.” Carlisle said this is the type of public-private partnership that the county embraces.
Wallace said the property is in a “county investment area” so it is eligible for this kind of tax abatement.
All this planning took longer than they wanted, but he said a project this size requires time to get the right group of people together, and they needed to “right-size an incentive package.” Plus, Wallace said the county and township do not usually get unique projects like this.
Wallace said Cohen acquired the property in March of 2023, so it has been three years in the making – though the first publicity promoted construction in 2024.
The plans that were released that March also showed a different conceptual layout, but plans and renderings since September of 2023 remain consistent with five buildings, three baseball diamonds, plus a proposed new Chillicothe Paints baseball stadium.
From Cohen’s website:
“For now, it’s 47 acres but soon it will be known as so much more than that. What now is just a field will be known as a destination, state-of-the-art healthcare center surrounded by auxiliary fields, a community center, hotel, restaurant, event center, and possibly a multi-purpose facility for a 30-year mainstay of Chillicothe, the Chillicothe Paints.”
Wallace said Dr. Cohen has invested lot of time and energy in the community, and he wants to be here long-term and make investments in the local infrastructure.
Wallace said negotiations are ongoing for the Paints Stadium, and nothing is set in stone for that.
He said everyone is anxious to break ground sometime this year – hopefully in the next few months – and the first building planned to be opened is the Ambulatory Surgery Center. Cohen’s Facebook page showed an unlabeled photo of a drilling machine on the site on December 21st, probably testing soil for construction.
Wallace said that once they break ground, they won’t slow down.
Cohen Orthopedic has a website, Facebook page, and other social media.
On February 13, Cohen posted on his Facebook page:
“We also signed a Letter of Intent with a hotel operator to build a 117-key hotel that will support the medical facility, as well as major events hosted at Paints Stadium, the multi-use athletic fields, and the future 75,000 sq. ft. Community Health & Wellness Center.”
On June 30th, as Chillicothe’s paper mill was being closed and 835 employees were losing their jobs, Cohen posted:
“Cohen Orthopedic is teaming up with The Chillicothe Paints and sponsor a night of baseball for the Mill employees.
“In addition, our Great Seal Medical and Sports Complex project has the potential to provide 600+ full time jobs, and 100+ seasonal jobs.”
Video of the commissioners’ public sessions are available on their YouTube page.
