County pauses Hillcrest reopening; renovations continue, officials say

Liz Igoe, court administrator for the Hamilton County Juvenile Court, told the Wyoming City Council the county has paused local funding for reopening the Hillcrest Training School while uncertainty remains over federal and state funding.

"The county has made a determination that Hillcrest will be paused until a determination related to the Children's Services levy in November of 2026 can be made by the voters," Igoe said. She added the court would continue pursuing other funding and state options in the meantime.

The pause follows Hamilton County's decision to place levy funding on hold amid uncertainty about federal support and while the county pursues a potential state designation as a community corrections facility under recommendations from the governor's juvenile justice plan. Igoe said Hamilton County submitted a bid with other large Ohio counties and will present to state officials on May 8 as part of that process.

Reika Thacker, project manager with the Hamilton County Facilities Department, described ongoing construction on the Hillcrest campus. "Thus far, we've began demolition within nine of the buildings on Hillcrest Campus," Thacker said, and she said work includes plumbing, electrical and HVAC upgrades, new windows and roofs, security cameras and card access. She said the renovations to those buildings are projected to be finished in September.

Court officials said the funding pause does not mean renovation work will stop immediately, but it changes the order in which programming might begin. Igoe said if the county wins a state community corrections facility (CCF) designation, the campus could open earlier for the CCF population; if not, the county had planned to begin hosting respite youth first.

Officials described the population and program rules that would apply. Igoe said placement decisions would continue to be made by the juvenile court using vetted criteria and probation recommendations. She said the target population for the campus are higher-risk youth the court had previously placed at Hillcrest: "These would be felony-level children," she said, and judges will retain discretion over who is placed on campus.

The county's presentation to the state proposes a reduced criminogenic capacity for the campus: officials said the earlier plan for 36 criminogenic beds across three cottages has been reduced in the state bid to 22 beds in two cottages. Thacker and Igoe said other bed types described in the original plan — respite beds and potential mental-health beds — would remain unchanged.

On security and site changes, Thacker said the project includes upgraded cameras, card access and controlled-door exits so doors will not open without staff unless for emergency egress. She said fencing will be installed on three sides of the property and that the Bonham street frontage will remain unfenced "so it doesn't appear like a prison or jail." Thacker said the fence is projected to be eight feet tall on the three fenced sides.

Igoe said the county asked for additional on-site security in its state proposal. "We added five more security officers to our bid," she said, saying the county's proposal included a total of 25 officers if selected as a CCF (compared with a base staffing proposal the court said would be 20 officers for the facility absent a CCF designation).

Court officials committed to a community advisory board as part of the process. "Before any child arrives on campus, that we will be formulating a community advisory board," Igoe said, and she said the board would include representatives from Wyoming, Springfield Township and Woodlawn. She said the advisory board would meet with providers and the court to ensure the community understands programming and security arrangements.

Igoe said the state designation process remains uncertain and that the county had asked for — and expected — a decision after presentations by the three bidding counties. "We present May 8," she said, and officials expect further information within about 60 days, though she cautioned the timeline is not guaranteed.

Council members asked about recourse for local residents and about how the campus would be staffed and secured. Igoe and Thacker repeatedly emphasized that judges retain final authority over placements and that the campus would be operated as a non-secure facility unless a different designation was requested and approved by the state.

The juvenile court representatives offered to return to the council with updates as the county and state process moves forward.

Ending: With county funding paused pending voter and state action, officials said construction and planning work will continue but the timing for youth placements to begin depends on the outcome of the state CCF selection and the county's levy decisions.