Five years on, progress stalls on new Franklin County Municipal Courthouse as costs rise
In May 2019, Columbus voters approved a $130-million bond issue earmarked to construct a new Franklin County Municipal Courthouse on the site of a Downtown park across the street from the current 1979 facility, saying construction could begin by 2022.
But next month will mark five years without any signs of construction activity — aside from a chain-link fence cordoning off the former Dorrian Commons park at the southeast corner of South High and Mound streets, the site of the Downtown project. Franklin County erected the fence and shuttered the park in 2018 in preparation.
So what happened?
The project is still moving along behind the scenes, said Chris Long, a spokesperson for the city of Columbus Finance Department, which is managing the courthouse project. However, half a decade on, the city still isn't exactly sure what will be built in terms of the number of stories, square footage or number of courtrooms. Nor could it provide provide an architectural rendering of what it might look like.
Details included in bid solicitations, however, that were updated as recently as last November show that the city now anticipates the project costing up to $210 million — or about 62% more than was raised in the bond issue.
The city said in 2020 that the $130 million would cover "much of the cost," and Long said this week the final cost remains unknown.
Long said a number of factors have contributed to delays, including "the availability and cost of materials, supplies, labor and other various resources."
"There is a great deal of construction services demand in central Ohio due to the strength of the local economy and large-scale construction projects being announced," Long said in an email, citing projects by Intel, Nationwide Childrens, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and others. "These all cause volatility in the cost and supply of various inputs that need to be programmed."
Asked if that all means the city needs to raise more money — or build less courthouse — Long said that depends on the final price tag.
The 1.89-acre site for the proposed courthouse sits along the 300 block of South High Street between Mound Street and Fulton Street. The lot contains both the mid-1970s era park and the former James A. Karnes Building, which will continue being used by the county Sheriff's Office until next year, before being demolished.
"The (new courthouse) building will contain approximately 345,000 to 378,000 gross square feet of space on an estimated 7 to 10 floors plus a full basement," a city request for qualifications for a construction manager at risk states. "There will be approximately 26 courtrooms. The building will have secure parking in the lower level for the Municipal Court judges.
"Additionally, there will be a tunnel constructed under High Street, connecting the new Municipal Court building to the existing Franklin County Government Center," with a construction cost ranging from $175 million to $210 million, "depending on the final design."
But these details "are not bid specifications," Long said. They are advance programming features used to start design process, and subject to change, he said.
The city purchased the land from Franklin County for $7 million, with the final $3.5 million installment due later this year.
Last year, the city entered into a "Phase 1" design contract with architecture firm Moody Nolan for $896,240, which will focus on preliminary design, needs assessments, preliminary site development, and space program documenting. The design phase could last 24 months, with preliminary site construction could begin in late 2025, Long added.
The current Municipal Court building, an 18-story structure at the northwest corner of South High and Fulton streets is "woefully inadequate for our needs," said Jodi Andes, the court's spokesperson.
In 2012, the court announced a $90 million plan to renovate the existing tower, including drilling new elevator shafts through the center of the building to allow the secure transport of prisoners into courtrooms at the top. Those renovations were expected to disrupt court operations for a decade, and still leave a cramped facility. They were scrapped in favor of constructing a new building.
The court is "anxious to get started in earnest with the design and construction of the new court building," Andes said. "The city is in full control of the project contract management to include schedule and budget. That information has not been shared with us at this time."
@ReporterBush
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Franklin County Municipal Courthouse stalls as Columbus costs rise
