Posted January 24, 200520 yr LATEST NEWS 4:06 PM EST Monday Commissioners to vote on courthouse site http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/01/24/daily5.html?jst=b_ln_hl The Franklin County Commissioners said Monday they are poised to buy a site for a new Hall of Justice for $10.9 million. The site, currently a surface parking lot, is between Mound and Main streets and High and Front streets. It is owned by the family of Geraldine and the late Jerome Schottenstein, founder of Schottenstein Stores Corp. The county needs a new Hall of Justice to relieve its crowded court system, the commissioners said. The overall cost for the project will be is estimated at $110 million. -------------- All I can say is Thank you! Those parking lots are the ones right across from the Westin Hotel and have been driving me nuts forever. I've been hoping this project would come through.
January 24, 200520 yr Author http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/01/24/daily5.html?jst=b_ln_hl
January 24, 200520 yr although its sad columbus needsyet more courthouse space ****! its great news to get rid of a parking lot for a new building. i should email that article to cleveland mayor jane campbell because there is a lesson in there somewhere (re shottensteins vs ratners) in terms of civic responsibility and pride.
January 24, 200520 yr cool... and good that they are putting it on top of the parking lot instead of eliminating a park!
January 25, 200520 yr I agree with seanguy, it's great to see this project come one step closer to become a reality, especially in an area that could use it. Building the new hall of justice on Dorrian Commons really would have been a travesty, especially with all the surface space right across the street. I'm glad one more surface lot will vanish from downtown Columbus, especially the one to be built on, since it faces the Westin. although its sad columbus needsyet more courthouse space I don't follow. The current Hall of Justice was completed in 1973, and is far inadequate to handle the needs of a city of over 700,000. The building is the short white and black structure in this photo, located in the Franklin County Government Complex....
January 25, 200520 yr ^and since it is the county, then we need to use the county population at about 1.1 million.
January 25, 200520 yr Wow! That's uncanny! The Daily Planet is in Cleveland. The Jetson's house is in Seattle. Any others?
January 26, 200520 yr Commissioners approved the purchase of the surface lots to build the new hall of justice today. Here's video from 10TV that shows just how large the parcel of land is that will become the court's new home: http://www.10tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2854505&nav=LUERVa0O and since it is the county, then we need to use the county population at about 1.1 million. Oh man is my face red...lol!
January 26, 200520 yr cmh that tall newer building behind the old 70's one you are talking about has tons of courtrooms too. i got married in one!
February 2, 200520 yr This article mentions someone hoping the new building will be visable from I-70. Even if it's a five-story structure, it should be visable, as the Great Southern Hotel is visable from the highway. My guess though is that the building will probably be around 10 stories or so. FRANKLIN COUNTY COURTS BUILDING Officials dream big about their new digs Tuesday, February 01, 2005 Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/01/01/20050101-B1-03.html
February 2, 200520 yr i care more about the view from other places, like childrens hospital, than from the bloody highway
February 2, 200520 yr I like the fact that the commissioners are "thinking big" with this project. Even though it won't make an impact on the skyline, it has the potential of making a profound statement at streetlevel. At first I was pissed when they said the new building won't be as many stories on the parking lot site as it would have been if built on the park site, but I think the biggest problem facing downtown right now is too many surface parking lots distrupting the urban "energy", so a building with a larger footprint is exactly what we needed at this point in time. :clap:
August 17, 200519 yr County buys land Downtown for $10.9 million Schottenstein lot to be new courts building By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Franklin County will take possession Monday of a Downtown block of parking lots where it plans to build a new county courts building. The $10.9 million purchase price for the 4 acres at S. High and Mound streets is almost twice the value listed by Franklin County Auditor Joe Testa in his just-completed update of county properties. However, it’s less than the value set by a separate county appraisal, Deputy Administrator George Speaks said. Read more at http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/08/17/20050817-B1-02.html
August 20, 200519 yr i like the track record here too as i think they did a great job with the last one (which i thought was the first sharp looking modern building in downtown). so next up is the renderings i hope???
August 21, 200519 yr i agree with mrnyc! i really like the current franklin county courthouse! i think it is one of the best looking in the state and its also the talles county courthouse in the state also(take the cincy and cleveland!) the new government center will add to the skyline of downtown.
August 21, 200519 yr Ugh, me personally, I think the county courthouse is horrendous. From what I've seen in other articles, they want the new structure to take up the entire space currently occupied by the 4 surface lots yet they want it to be tall enough to be somewhat prominent in the skyline. In order to do that, I'd imagine it would be a tiered structure with a base of maybe 3-5 stories followed by a tower of 10-15 stories. I'm definitely eagerly anticipating the renderings.
August 23, 200519 yr It seems like Franklin County has a glut of courthouse space already. With the tower and adjacent buildings it seems like their courthouse is bigger than Cuyahoga and Hamilton combined. I guess there is just a lot of crime in Columbus
August 23, 200519 yr I guess there is just a lot of crime in Columbus Man, you're good! Are you a detective? What an absolutely brilliant deduction! Wow, did you come up with that all by yourself? You must've read all the articles quite thoroughly to come to such an airtight and valid conclusion! Wow, such perception! Incredibly brilliant! (If you read reply #7, you'll see why the new courthouse is being constructed, but you already knew that... ;-) )
March 17, 200619 yr Hopefully some rendering will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. Pizzuti picked for courthouse job Business First of Columbus - 5:21 PM EST Thursday Franklin County commissioners have chosen Pizzuti Solutions LLC as the lead candidate to manage construction of the county's $100 million Hall of Justice in Columbus. The commissioners said Thursday they plan to negotiate an agreement with the Pizzuti Cos.' division to serve as owner's representative in the construction of the downtown complex for the county Court of Common Pleas. Columbus-based Pizzuti beat out two other finalists.
March 20, 200619 yr New courthouse may offer more Developer urges county to add shops, restaurants, housing to offset costs Monday, March 20, 2006 Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Justice might be served with side salads at Franklin County’s new courts building. The developer whom county commissioners want to oversee the county’s biggest construction project in more than a dozen years says officials should consider adding restaurants, stores and even condominiums to cut costs and liven up the south end of Downtown. Read more at http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/20/20060320-B1-02.html
March 20, 200619 yr The security concerns are more than justified, but I don't think that necessarily precludes the complex from being a multiple-use development. Given security requirements for the courts, he said, similar additions locally would likely require separate buildings. Given the enormous size of the block to be developed, this would seem like a good option regardless. Maybe the actual courts and necessary fuctions could be housed in one building, while offices, along with residential/retail could be housed in another, and connected either at ground level or by an elevated connector. Either way, it's good to see more news on the project.
July 24, 200618 yr From Business First of Columbus, 7/21/06: Courthouse architect, contractor recommended Business First of Columbus - July 21, 2006 A development team for the new home of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court is taking shape. Pizzuti Solutions LLC, the owner's representative managing the $110 million downtown project, has recommended the county negotiate a contract with DesignGroup Inc. of Columbus as the project architect. It also has recommended that Gilbane Building Co., which is based in Providence, R.I., be hired as the construction manager. The Franklin County Hall of Justice will be constructed on a site between Mound and Main streets and High and Front streets. The county is undertaking the project to relieve overcrowding in its court system. County commissioners likely will consider a resolution at their Aug. 1 meeting to authorize Pizzuti Solutions to start negotiations with the two companies, county spokeswoman Hanna Greer said Friday. Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/07/17/daily36.html?from_rss=1
September 7, 200618 yr County approves bids for courthouse design, construction Business First of Columbus - 4:23 PM EDT Wednesday Franklin County Commissioners accepted bids from DesignGroup and Gilbane Building Co. to design and construct a new courthouse, the county said Wednesday. The new courthouse will be located north of the existing building, located at 373 S. High St., and will be bordered by Mound, High, Main and Front streets. Construction for the $100 million project is expected to begin next year and be completed by fall 2009. Columbus-based Pizzuti Solutions, which is the public/private development arm of Pizzuti Cos., is leading the courthouse construction project. DesignGroup, which provides architecture and interior design services, is based in Columbus where it employs about 50 people. Gilbane Building is a subsidiary of Providence, R.I.-based Gilbane Inc. http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/09/04/daily21.html?from_rss=1
January 27, 200718 yr FRANKLIN COUNTY Lawyers: Proposed courthouse too small Saturday, January 27, 2007 Barbara Carmen and Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The first shovelful of dirt has yet to be dug for the new Franklin County Courthouse, but lawyers already are filing objections. The president of the Columbus Bar Association said she has seen plans for the project that would make it "a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars." But county officials said plans are still being drawn, so such criticism is "absurd." Read more at http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/01/27/20070127-B1-02.html
February 28, 200718 yr County heads to the drawing board New jail, animal shelter and courthouse make cut for $324 million building plan Wednesday, February 28, 2007 Barbara Carmen THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/02/28/20070228-E1-03.html
February 28, 200718 yr GIVE US TOWERS!!! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 1, 200718 yr Author Early this fall they reported that they were trying to put retail on the ground level of the new courthouse structure along High ST. I haven't read any update stating that this was going to be part of the final design. I know they seem to be having budge constraints so i hope that retail wasnt axed with the worries.
March 3, 200718 yr GIVE US TOWERS!!! YES! Why not just overbuild now and have a taller tower? Doesn't that make more sense than knowing that you will 'add on' to it later-at a much higher price tag??? build us another 20 floor plus building!!!!!
March 14, 200718 yr County signs off on money for buildings $263.9 million will be used for jail, courthouse, animal shelter BY BARBARA CARMEN | [email protected] March 14, 2007 COLUMBUS - Franklin County officials took their best guess yesterday at what it will cost to build a jail, courthouse and animal shelter, then approved a $263.9 million budget for the projects. The capital improvements plan, which plots spending through 2010, has plenty of bigticket projects. There’s $111 million for a new courts building, $18 million to replace the old county dog pound, $79 million to build a third jail to relieve prisoner overcrowding, and $30 million to remodel a 1970s courthouse that was branded insufficient practically from the day it opened. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/03/14/20070314-B4-01.html
March 28, 200718 yr Third courthouse might have charm County officials want a distinctive complex BY DEBBIE GEBOLYS | [email protected] March 28, 2007 IMAGE: Courthouse Square Plan COLUMBUS - A new Franklin County courthouse should look like a courthouse, planners and officials say. In nearly every other county seat in Ohio, courthouses sit on high-profile, landscaped public squares. Most have turrets or domes, statues and pillars that tell passers-by in a blink of an eye that they've arrived at an important place. In Columbus, the puzzle of buildings surrounding Mound and High streets has none of that street presence. The buildings look more like office towers than the county's administrative center. But Franklin County will join its Ohio brethren with a $111 million courthouse complex. Construction might not be complete until 2010, but when it is, the county will have its own courthouse square at Mound and High, and a courthouse that will be easily identifiable. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/03/28/COUNTY.ART_ART_03-28-07_B1_3E679MN.html
March 28, 200718 yr In nearly every other county seat in Ohio, courthouses sit on high-profile, landscaped public squares. The same is true for Columbus, except it is the state courthouse, not the county. I don't think a re-creation of the 1885 courthouse would be so bad. :lol:
March 30, 200718 yr "It's our chance," he said. "The last two times, we blew it." The first step of recovery is admitting you have a problem. That last courthouse they built is a concrete fortress. The only thing it does at ground level is increase the wind speed!
March 30, 200718 yr Dumb question, but is the courthouse the tall black building with the pointed top or the much smaller white building? I always get the two confused. Besides, the black building looks much better than the shorter white one.
March 30, 200718 yr This image from The Dispatch should help identify which building is which as well as its relative location: The map also highlights the planned improvements to the site of the government buildings.
March 30, 200718 yr Have I mentioned how much I hate skywalks lately? It would be cheaper to buy 84,372 umbrellas and stock the lobbies of both buildings.
April 19, 200718 yr From the 4/18/07 Dispatch: Some question bank's role in county project Wednesday, April 18, 2007 3:41 AM By Barbara Carmen THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Franklin County has yet to dig a hole for its new courthouse, but foreclosure is already a concern. Union and community leaders asked commissioners yesterday to use their weight to force JPMorgan Chase, chosen last month to help the county borrow money for its new Hall of Justice, to change its practices. Otherwise, the leaders said, taxpayers will be doing business with one of the region's foreclosure kings. "We hear you, and we are going to take a look at this," Commissioner Marilyn Brown responded. Commissioners agreed to invite Chase officials in to present their side. But the county deal is struck. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/04/18/commis18.ART_ART_04-18-07_B4_E36DS6F.html
June 6, 200718 yr There's a chance some renderings will be released today, let's keep our fingers crossed.
June 6, 200718 yr And here it is... Open courthouse County's new justice showcase would feature 7 stories of glass Wednesday, June 6, 2007 3:39 AM By Barbara Carmen and Bruce Cadwallader THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH [click on link for images and maps] http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/06/06/CTPEEK.ART_ART_06-06-07_A1_OG6UC01.html
June 6, 200718 yr [click here for slideshow of architect renderings of the new hall of justice] http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/foundation/slideshow.jsp?file=/local_news/stories/2007/06/05/courthouse_images.html&image=1&tot=5 My first reaction is that the proposed building is much smaller than I anticipated. I was under the impression that the new structure would take up the entire block bordered by High, Main, Front, and Mound. This proposal has the building only encompassing maybe half the space, with the rest reserved for "future expansion" (City Center greenspace, anybody?). As for the design itself, I'm still in deliberation. The glass facades are nice, but I don't like the tower for the elevator shafts. I think the building would look even cleaner with the shafts incorporated into the strucutre as opposed to sticking them on the side. And while I like the design, i don't like how it'll fit into the existing landscape. The courthouse will be right across from several early 1900s structures, including the Great Southern Hotel. I find it interesting also that the design calls for an underground tunnel to connect the existing government center to the new courthouse as opposed to a skywalk. I think the incoming president of the Columbus Bar Association, Mr Genshaft, sums up my view pretty well... "I think it's a very contemporary building. I'm a little surprised. I thought it would be more traditional in design, but I liked it," Genshaft said. "I liked the idea of going for this transparency, symbolizing the transparency of the law."
June 6, 200718 yr http://www.dispatch.com/wwwexportcontent/sites/dispatch/local_news/stories/2007/06/06/courthouse_large.jpg Eh... "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 6, 200718 yr I wonder if some further tweaking might occur, some of the renderings are slightly different. In this rendering, the elevator shaft tower is more prominent, and located at the middle of the tower. In this image, the tower for the elevator shaft is less prominent and more towards the edge of the structure. I'm still undecided as to whether I like it or not. I like the design; it definitely looks "green," but it looks more like a library or a university building than a courthouse.
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