MANSFIELD — Richland County commissioners on Thursday moved a step closer to an estimated $2 million construction project to relocate the Clerk of Courts and lead to the addition of a fourth Common Pleas General Division courtroom.
Commissioners approved seeking bids for the work though Mauer Architectural Design Studio of Mansfield is not expected to have the design work fully completed until the end of the week.
“The architect, has promised to have the complete construction bid package ready to go by the end of this week,” county administrator Andrew Keller said.
“So by taking action today, we’ll be prepared to advertise as soon as next week, assuming everything is in order and no further adjustments are necessary, which means we’re at the end of the final design phase on this project,” Keller said.
Commissioners are using part of their American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for the project.
On Aug. 2, commissioners awarded a $180,000 contract to Maurer to design the new “L2” at the county administration building, a floor that once contained the former county jail.
The former jail cells on “L2” have been removed and the space prepared for work that will lead to the creation of offices for Clerk of Courts Denise Ruhle and her staff in about 3,400 square feet of the space.
“The clerk court space, which is presently on the second floor, is going to move down there. That includes offices, it includes space for storage, the public and customers.
“And then we’re also going to be locating a large conference room space, independent of the clerk’s office on L2 that’ll be available for other county operations. The prosecutor’s office will conduct grand jury proceedings in this conference space,” Keller said.
Commissioner Darrel Banks said the project will also include a couple of small rooms for court witnesses, “which will be a much better situation that we have now.”
The administrator said commissioners would like to have the relocation complete in the first half of 2024.
“What we want is as soon as possible, (but) we’re frequently reminded by our design team that what we want will be tempered by what can be done with supply chain shortages and the congested economy right now in the construction space,” Keller said.
That move would allow for the construction of a fourth Richland County Common Pleas general division courtroom, a request made by Judges Brent Robinson and Phil Naumoff in May 2021.
Commissioners set aside $577,000 in the 2022 capital budget for the total project of removing the cells, installing a new HVAC system and replacing windows.
The judges cited a “perfect storm” of COVID-19 requirements and new state rules as the need for the new courtroom that would be used by the two judges and their three magistrates.
That courtroom will be constructed in the space being vacated by the Clerk of Courts office.