The Franklin County Municipal Court released a statement Wednesday morning criticizing Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther’s decision to end plans to construct a new court building.
Ginther announced last month the city would end construction and not build a new court facility, citing increasing costs and a tight city budget.
The statement from the court refutes Ginther’s funding claims, saying a new building was fully funded at the time of its cancellation. The court said the combined bond and capital investments totaled $370 million, well above the city’s estimated $335 million in costs.
“This decision reflects a choice to redirect already-committed resources, not a genuine funding shortfall,” the court’s statement said.
The court said the city previously considered renovations of the municipal court, but abandoned that plan in 2018 in favor of building a new court.
The statement also highlighted structural and safety concerns in the current court building, including photos and videos of extensive water damage, rusted and unattached metal wall supports, untested black staining on vents and ceilings and evidence of active water leaks.
“Elevators, plumbing, electric, HVAC, security infrastructure and technology systems throughout the building require full replacement, not incremental repair,” the court said.
The court also said it regularly deals with people becoming trapped in elevators, including the court’s security director for more than two hours last week. The building’s courtrooms and restrooms are also not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, forcing people with mobility issues to leave the building to find a compliant restroom.
The court’s statement also said the current building has several security concerns.
“There is no secure corridor or holding area for people in custody,” the statement said. “Today, individuals in custody are moved through non-public staff areas and held in rooms not designed for secure detention while awaiting their cases — placing them in close quarters with judicial chambers, court staff and attorneys.”
Another security concern the court has is a lack of secure judicial parking. The statement details two incidents, one where a judge was followed from their vehicle to the courthouse and another where a judge and other public officials were stalked and threatened.
Ginther’s office said the courthouse will receive renovations using funds previously allocated for the courthouse, but the court said renovations would not address many of its concerns.
“Our commitment to the court has not changed,” said Elon Simms, chief of staff for the mayor. “We had to make a decision and we don’t take that lightly.”
Simms said the mayor understands the disappointment from the court to not go forward with the new building.
Simms also said the mayor’s office wants to work closely with court officials on renovations. However, the initial decision to end construction on a new building was made without input from court officials. When asked about this, Simms said the decision was made by the mayor’s office after extensive discussion with financial analysts.
He added that the renovations will be much more than cosmetic fixes and Ginther does want to address the court’s concerns.
You can read the court’s full statement and list of concerns on its website.
