Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said the city has spent around $26 million on the now-canceled courthouse project, but his decision frees up more funding for local investment in neighborhoods.
The Dispatch reported on July 29 that the city stopped construction after Ginther's office canceled plans, citing a tight budget and inflation in the decision. Instead, the city now plans to renovate the existing Franklin County Municipal Courthouse.
Voters previously approved a $130 million bond package in 2019 tied to construction of a new Municipal Court building. The city included an additional $150 million in the 2024 capital budget for the new courthouse.
In a July 30 interview with The Dispatch, Ginther said that the city has already invested $26 million
into the new courthouse project, but said around $14.5 million of that will be transferable to the renovation project. The rest, he conceded, is a sunk cost. However, he said the decision frees up at least $75 million for projects around the community.
"It'd be ridiculous to throw away the chance to save another $75 million that can go into our neighborhoods," Ginther said. "Investing in the community will always be my first priority."
Ginther said the decision will allow the city to invest in sidewalks, recreation centers, police and fire equipment among other efforts. He added that construction costs in general have soared, leading to the city reassessing its priorities. The cost of the project had ballooned from $200 million in 2018 when it began to more than $335 million today.
"That can make a huge impact in neighborhoods with us going with the renovations as opposed to new construction," Ginther said.
In a statement, Nick Bankston, councilmember and chair of the Finance and Governance committee, said that while it is "always difficult to step away from a major project," the budgetary realities of the city "leaves us no choice but to make hard decisions about our future plans and commitments."
"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," Bankston said.
Ginther also noted that the renovation process of the existing courthouse will open up an estimated 320,000 square feet compared to the planned new building which would have only added 250,000 square feet to the court complex.
"It's not as if our workforce is going to go down as our city grows, so this I think better contemplates a growing city's future," Ginther said.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Mayor Ginther defends city spending millions on now-canceled courthouse
