MANSFIELD — The lack of a new air handler will delay the opening of a newly renovated Richland County Clerk of Courts space until September.
Richland County commissioners on Tuesday said construction on the space once occupied by the county jail is on pace to be completed on time in June.
But, they said, a lagging supply chain has delayed the arrival of an air handler, which is a device that circulates conditioned air through a building or a space.
It’s a critical part of an overall HVAC system that works in conjunction with an air conditioning or heating system.
“Unfortunately, our air handling system won’t be available until September,” Commissioner Darrell Banks said. “I believe they’ll have everything else done on time — and then we’ll be waiting on the air handler, which we ordered months ago and we still got months waiting on.”
County administrator Andrew Keller credited the delay to supply chain issues around the country. Commissioners said in January it appeared the project would be completed sometime in June.
“Move-in is held captive to the last item scheduled for delivery,” he said. “The air handler is just one item, but that will likely delay the entire move-in for the office until September, assuming that’s when the air handler arrives and is installed.”
The $1.62 million project is being handled by Studer-Obringer Inc. of New Washington, which is serving as the general contractor on the project. It’s being completed using a share of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Work to remove the old jail cells and prepare the space for the project began more than two years ago.
Commissioners have said the project meets two needs.
It provides more space for the Clerk of Courts office. It will also allow for the creation of a fourth courtroom, a request made by Common Pleas Court Judges Brent Robinson and Phil Naumoff.
The new courtroom in the former clerks’ office space would be used by both judges and their three magistrates and would also provide extra space for the county prosecutor to conduct grand jury sessions.
Also on Thursday, commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding with the Statewide Consortium of County Law Library Resources to accept a $3,427.81 grant that will be used to purchase video equipment and computers/monitors for use in the Richland County Law Library.
By statute, the local law library provides a professional legal collection for judges, prosecutors, attorneys and county officials. It’s also available to the public on Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. or by appointment by calling 419-774-5595.