Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther is defending the city's decision to scrap plans for a new Franklin County Municipal Court building in favor of renovating the current court complex.
Ginther said the city will spend less money renovating the current building while reinvesting $75 million elsewhere. The new building would've cost $335 million, while a renovation is estimated to cost around $260 million.
Ginther said the cost of new construction across the country has increased, even more so than the cost to renovate very old buildings. The 19-floor municipal court at the corner of South High Street and Mound Street was built in the 1970s.
He said he expects repairs on the aging building will give court staff and judges a true "21st century" workplace.
"We're not talking about the coat of paint and new carpet. We're going to the studs in this thing," Ginther said.
Despite this promise, a spokesperson for the court said court leadership is disappointed in this decision. Ginther said he understands that sentiment.
"I see them. I hear them. There are a lot of folks that put a lot of work and time and energy into contemplating a new courthouse," Ginther said.
Columbus City Councilmember Nick Bankston, who chairs the city council's finance committee said in a statement he understands this decision.
"Although it is always difficult to step away from a major project, I recognize that our present financial reality leaves us no choice but to make hard decisions about our future plans and commitments,” Bankston said. “I look forward to evaluating how this change aligns with our broader efforts to stabilize the city's operating budget and I am ready to work with the Municipal Court Judges and staff to ensure that this pivot meets their needs and the needs of our residents."
The decision backtracks on promises city leaders like Ginther made when voters passed bond issues in 2019 and 2025. Those bond issues, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, promised to partially fund construction of a new municipal court.
Ginther said at the end of the day he thinks voters will understand.
"There are a lot of families around this community that are sitting around kitchen tables right now making some tough decisions trying to figure out how to prioritize what's most important. So I think they'll get the fact that This was going to cost far more than we ever anticipated," Ginther said.
The mayor said about $75 million in savings will be used for other city priorities like sidewalks, parks and fire and police equipment. He pointed to impactful projects like the Linden Community Center that cost under $30 million as examples of what can be done with these savings, instead of putting the money towards the construction of a costly new courthouse.
