The Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution Thursday to move the Office of University Communications from Building A of the Kinnear Road Center to a space in the South Campus Gateway.

The lease for the space in the Gateway will cost the university $2.5 million over a 10-year period.

The resolution came after the Kinnear Road Center Facilities Assessment from April 2009 said Building A would need costly renovations.

Mary Lynn Readey, associate vice president of Ohio State’s Facilities Operations and Development, presented the proposal to the board. After the meeting, she said she was pleased that it passed, and the investment in the new space at the Gateway “just made sense.”

She also said the long-term use of Building A is unknown.

At the meeting, Readey discussed the dilapidated state of the building and said it “may well be slated for demolition.”

Some of the building’s problems include asbestos in the ceiling and outdated mechanical systems, notably the heating and cooling systems. The assessment also said the building was not handicap-accessible.

The university looked into moving University Communications into spaces at Lincoln Tower and at Kenny Road, but decided the space in the Gateway would be a better choice because the office would be closer to central campus.

It was unclear at the meeting when the move will take place.

The Office of University Communications is made up of employees from Internal Communications, Marketing Communications and Research Communications.

The new office space is at 21 E. 11th Ave.