There will be a new main entrance/exit for access to the Franklin County Government Complex starting next week as demolition of the county's former Downtown jail begins to make way for a planned child care and early learning center.
Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8, the 365 S. High St. Pavilion access to the Government Complex will be closed. A new main entrance/exit for the complex will be located at 373 S. High St.
The public can still access the Franklin County Common Pleas Courthouse at 345 S. High St. using the underground tunnel located beneath the 365 S. High St. building.
The courthouse, located adjacent to the former jail on the southeast corner of Mound and Front streets, will remain operational during the demolition, according to a news release
from the county. Members of the county's community relations team will be available throughout the complex to assist visitors.
"To support residents during this transition, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ newly formed Community Relations Team will be available throughout the complex," the news release states. "This unit, housed within Public Affairs, was created to serve the community and advance the Commissioners’ priority of ensuring every resident can access the information, resources and services they need."
The county approved a $1.39 million design contract in 2024 to begin the process of turning the shuttered lockup into a child care and early learning facility for some 400 children— a transition that county officials said then may be a first in the nation. The facility is expected to provide a place for parents who have to appear in court to drop off their children for temporary care, while also providing a child care and learning center for county and city employees and the general public.
Planning the demolition around keeping the county government and courthouse complex open proved more complex than first thought and contributed to the delays in moving forward.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New entrance for Franklin County Govt. Complex as former jail demolition begins
