Less than a year after floating a possible move, Columbus’ resident utility giant plans to invest in its 31-story Downtown office tower, but the firm said that is not a guarantee of its future headquarters location.
American Electric Power recently filed plans with the city of Columbus to renovate its headquarters building, located on the corner of Marconi Boulevard and West Long Street at 1 Riverside Plaza. The project would involve architectural and interior finish upgrades to “improve functionality, circulation and employee experience” within the lobby and a few other lower levels, according to the project description.
This move follows speculation that AEP would relocate from its namesake tower because of the building’s age, having been built in 1983.
Company spokesperson Scott Blake told The Dispatch in August 2025 that while the AEP building is “a fixture of the Columbus skyline,” it would require significant renovations to remain “a safe and engaging environment” for employees.
“Currently, we are evaluating our options, which include investing in our current facilities or finding a building in or around Columbus that better meets the needs of our workforce,” Blake said in August 2025.
Its plans, filed about a month ago by Ruscilli Construction, could indicate the company has made the decision to stay put, but AEP spokesperson Tammy Ridout suggested otherwise.
“As we’ve said previously, we are still assessing the best location for AEP’s headquarters as we look to our future and the significant growth we are expecting,” Ridout said in an email.
“We are making targeted investments in the building to ensure the workplace meets the evolving needs of our employees as we continue strengthening the electric grid and responding to growing demand for electricity. There will continue to be employees at the 1 Riverside Plaza building supporting our businesses, and they need a quality place to work.”
Construction is expected to begin this summer, starting with the lobby, according to Ridout. She added the renovation project has not received city or state funding.
Ridout didn’t answer The Dispatch’s questions about how many people work in the AEP headquarters tower or how much of the building is occupied.
The renovation work would center on upgrading the primary and garage entrances, lobby, conference center, guard desk and some other spaces, according to the project description. Additional improvements would include upgrades to security partitions, column wraps, elevator lobbies and a video wall.
The company also hopes to replace existing escalators with new “monumental” staircases, one connecting the lobby to the conference center and another leading to the second level, according to the project description. Renovations would also involve relocating a coffee shop from the second floor to the first.
Gov. Mike DeWine is pushing for the company to stay in Ohio. He told The Dispatch months ago that his administration was having ongoing conversations with AEP, JobsOhio and the state’s department of development about a potential move.
“This is a company that’s very important to Ohio, and we’re going to continue to make every effort for them to stay here,” DeWine told The Dispatch in January.
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: AEP to revamp Downtown office tower, but says no decision made on Ohio HQ
Reporting by Emma Wozniak, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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