New Albany City Council on Aug. 4, voted to authorize the city manager to execute agreements with New Albany-Plain Local School District for a transportation facility lease and park land acquisition at the former Discover Financial Services site on New Albany Road East.

Resolution R-29-2026, introduced at the July 21 meeting, formalizes two pieces of the Athletic Campus project: the school district will lease city-owned land to build a bus transportation facility, and the city will acquire school district property for new park land. As we reported Aug. 4, the resolution had been headed to council following the school board's approval of a matching lease agreement.

The NAPLS Board of Education approved that matching resolution at a July 24 special meeting, specifically authorizing the transportation facility lease and park land transfer to the city.

The city purchased the 49.4-acre parcel at 6500 New Albany Road East from LHR Industries in August 2025 for up to $15 million. The initial plan calls for developing roughly 19 acres to relocate varsity and junior varsity baseball and softball fields displaced by construction of a new elementary school, according to the city's 2025 annual report.

The project has moved quickly.

"This wouldn't have happened without school board and city collaboration," John McClelland, now a council member, said at the Feb. 17 council meeting when he was still on the school board and concept drawings for the campus were first presented. "When the initial bond levy was issued and approved, this land wasn't part of the plan."

Deputy City Manager Adrienne Joly told council at that same February meeting that the campus would not replace the existing school stadium but would host JV, middle school and tournament games.

Council had already voted 7-0 on July 7 to adopt Resolution R-25-2026, the initial lease agreement authorizing redevelopment of the Discover Site for school district and municipal purposes.

Country Club subdivision gets final plat

Council also adopted Ordinance O-27-2026 on Aug. 4, renewing approval of the final plat for 40 single-family lots on 30.1 acres in Section 30 of the New Albany Country Club subdivision. The homes will be built north and west of Lambton Park Road and south of Brandon Road, as requested by the New Albany Company, LLC.

The plat includes about 1.39 acres of parkland and open space to be donated to the city. The New Albany Planning Commission recommended approval on June 16, 2025, and the city engineer certified the plat meets all stormwater management and design standards. Mayor Sloan T. Spalding, Clerk of Council Jennifer H. Mason and Law Director Benjamin S. Albrecht signed the ordinance, which takes effect Sept. 3.

The July 21 amended council agenda also listed resolutions to update the service area boundary maps in the city's water and sewer contracts with Columbus, though it is unclear whether those items were adopted July 21 or Aug. 4.

Aug. 4 council minutes had not been posted as of Aug. 5. Individual vote tallies for the evening's legislation have not been released.