Architect touts OBES renovation into court
By Brad Bauer, bbauer@mariettatimes.comFact Box
Municipal court renovation breakdown
Miller Lecky Architects estimated it would take $3.8 million to renovate the former Ohio Bureau of Employment Services building into a suitable municipal court.
The majority of that, $3.2 million, is for construction costs, including an expansion that would provide almost as much usable court space as the current municipal court now occupies.
The remaining $600,000 would include furniture and design fees.
Marietta Mayor Michael Mullen questioned the plans, saying they were based on previous studies that voters had spoken against.
The estimated $3.8 million cost to convert the former Ohio Bureau of Employment Services building in Marietta into suitable court facilities is a good deal, according to the architects who developed the plans.
Miller Lecky Architects Inc. of Columbus met with Municipal Court Judge Janet Dyar-Welch and Marietta City Council members Wednesday to explain the designs and costs of the proposed project.
"This is a very conservative approach," said Steve Miller, of Miller Lecky.
Miller projected the renovations would cost about $140 per square foot, about $40 less per square foot than to construct a new building.
The current court facilities are not handicap accessible and are inadequate for space and security, according to city officials.
Nearly $500,000 of the proposed costs to renovate the building surround security-related items. Of those, Welch said she isn't willing to skimp on security.
"I am not going to negotiate safety," Welch said.
About $125,000 of the projected cost includes a special garage for police to enter with prisoners. Another $80,000 is dedicated to an elevator for police and prisoners.
There is $50,000 earmarked for courtroom video, audio and a computer system that allows for prisoners to be arraigned from jail.
Generally, prisoners are only brought to the court for preliminary hearings. Those hearings are currently held once a week.
About $3.2 million of the proposed project covers the construction cost. The remaining $600,000 would include furniture and design fees.
The designs also call for the expansion of the current OBES space from 16,000 to 23,170 square feet. The current court operates in about 4,200 square feet.
Welch said she still has other options she would like to explore. She did not elaborate, but has discussed previously an expansion to the current court.
The judge asked City Council to review the plans and to meet with her to discuss the proposal at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday.
The "usable" court space in the proposed expansion to the OBES facility is nearly as large as the current court facilities, and would be used to house court records, according to the current designs. The cost of the proposed addition was not immediately available.
Mayor Michael Mullen proposed the purchase of the former OBES building as a possible municipal court location after the property became available in November 2006. It was shortly after a writ of mandamus lawsuit was filed by Marietta resident Butch Badgett to force the mayor and council to provide adequate and accessible court facilities that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
In May, the Ohio 4th District Court of Appeals ruled on the case, ordering the city to provide suitable court facilities.
Mullen said he still believes more could be done with the facility for less money.
"With the expansion, this is five times the space the court currently occupies," Mullen said. "One of my questions to the architect was about the process used to determine the space needs and overall outcome of the designs. A lot of that was defined from previous studies that were used to support building the justice center and other designs that were denied by referendum."
Council members contacted after the meeting said they would reserve comment until after Tuesday's meeting with Welch.
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THETRUTH
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06-28-08 11:29 PM
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I dont care if the local contractors get the job or not, but set it up so they can bid it. This project has little magnitude, this is not a large project, and the county can house the municaple court if they wanted to. They could also build this building big enough for the court rooms at the court house.
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THETRUTH
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06-28-08 11:21 PM
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Darby1952, dont know why noone bid on your project, My company bids on everything local we can find, I would call the contractors and ask why.There are jobs we cant bid on, usally because of some odd restriction that wont allow us to bid, we have done some goverment work that would have cost exactly have the cost if it didnt have some unneeded restrictions, specific name brand,and a number of other things
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hockeypuck
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06-28-08 11:01 PM
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Linejudge, you can kiss up to the politicians all you want. I still feel like I need a bath if I have to deal with them. The only solution is to do away with political parties and have all independents, the way the founders believed.
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RuCrUnAt
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06-27-08 8:10 AM
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Come on people, if this were a maple and oak affair, the cost would have been a lot more than 3.8 million. City council should just*****it up and do what they have been ordered to do. This so-called new council and their supporters are why the city has been ordered to do this and pay attorney fees. They pig-headedly stopped the previous council from doing what we now know was the right thing. The court would have been built by now for the same cost and the city would have avoided attorney fees.
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BIGDMARSHALL
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06-27-08 1:36 AM
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Cost can get high I guess. YOu know how the government is. 20k for toilet seat, 30k for roll of toilet paper.
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BondIV
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06-26-08 10:08 PM
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Darby, actually, no the Municipal court has county jurisdiction, not just city.
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LineJudge
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06-26-08 9:21 PM
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Hockeypuck… Apt name. I’m not sure if you have noticed but we have a new council, new Auditor, and new hope! Talk crap if it makes you feel important but the new city government is, for the first time in a long time, talking sense and at least looking for real and affordable fixes to the court issue as well as many other issues. More has been accomplished in the past 6 months than it ever was in entire previous council’s term. Painting this council with the same brush as the previous 4 or 5 councils is… well it’s kind of a hockeypuck move don’t you think???
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hockeypuck
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06-26-08 8:38 PM
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All this fuss now. Seems like the elected officials have had more than enough time since the '70s to get this done. Just be grateful that the cost is not higher than it is. Quit talking (trying to get re-elected) and do something. If any of you have come into physical contact with one of these jackals (politicians), don't you feel like you need a bath?
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Darby1952
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06-26-08 5:59 PM
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The local architects don't have the resources to do jobs of this magnitude, they usually will partner with an out of town firm that does work of this type. Secondly, it is not as simple as using local workers. They are obligated to put work out to bid. They cannot control who bids on the work or where the workers come from, rather they are union or non-union. They must follow Ohio Revised Code, Ohio Building Codes, etc. Sorry,, in the perfect world it would be as easy as you say, but it ain't that way. Prevailing wage would rule as well. I have had projects where no local contractors bid on the work, you tell me why? In one, there was a major electrical project and I was stunned no local electrical contractor bid it. It went to an out of town company, using out of town workers.
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Darby1952
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06-26-08 5:50 PM
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The Truth,,, agreed the county owns the land over at the jail,, but this court is city, a municipal court,, not county
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THETRUTH
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06-26-08 5:11 PM
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the advantages are endless
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THETRUTH
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06-26-08 5:10 PM
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add a drive up window for people, and police officers to drop off and pick up papers and to pay fines,
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THETRUTH
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06-26-08 4:58 PM
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use a local arcitech, contractors etc, split the bid up so that all the local small contractors can bid on each specilty, building it at the jail, with a simple block and morter low maintance facility would save us money for a long time,
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THETRUTH
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06-26-08 4:53 PM
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Build a new facility as an addition to the new county jail, the jail allready has a sally port,and remote video wouldnt be needed, they could walk the prisoners to court instead of drive them, the jail staff, deputies, and balliffs could work together to save man power, build it 1 level no elevator, build it in the rear of the building out of cement blocks, it dosnt need to be as fancy, security is allready in place at the front of the jail, 1 secure entrance. and the county already owns the land
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newsnut
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06-26-08 3:48 PM
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a tent up at Jackson Park would be fine
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scandalous
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06-26-08 2:26 PM
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A nice big morton building with no windows on a remote piece of land with ample parking would do nicely. No elevators needed.
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MrWilson
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06-26-08 1:33 PM
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Is the Maple and Oak being imported from the Holy Land or something?
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CluelessOH
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06-26-08 1:11 PM
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$600,000.00 for furniture? I can get fold up or even old padded church pews for half that.
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CluelessOH
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06-26-08 1:09 PM
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Yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing the architect's drawings and plans. I bet that I could cut out a million and still have a safe building that is big enough to hold a trial in.
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Harleyrider
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06-26-08 12:01 PM
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Hey CluelessOH, this is Marietta and we spare no expense for frivolous things. Too bad we don't have any money to spend on important things. lol
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CluelessOH
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06-26-08 11:46 AM
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They also left out that it would be cheaper to build if they used drywall for the walls instead of Maple or Oak. It still sounds like a monument rather than just a secure building.
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Harleyrider
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06-26-08 11:37 AM
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wonder why they did not get a local firm to do this?
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MT1234
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06-26-08 11:06 AM
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You left out the 1.5 million dollar architectural studies.
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