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Justice Center schematic design complete; county says estimate reconciled to budget, council presses for programming details
Summary
Cuyahoga County’s project team reported completion of schematic design for the new Justice Center in Garfield Heights, said two independent cost estimates were reconciled to the project budget, and fielded council questions on programming, capacity and sustainability.
Cuyahoga County project staff told the council they have completed schematic design for the county’s Justice Center and reconciled design estimates with the project budget after a value‑engineering review.
"We were able to reconcile the estimate. We were able to get back, right within budget, literally within $700,000 on an $890,000,000 budget," project presenter Jeff Applebaum said during the committee update, describing steps that lowered allowances and refined structural and mechanical elements without reducing program scope.
Applebaum outlined the next steps: the design team will move into design development, targeting a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) proposal from the design builder in December, a reconciliation in January and a final GMP and bond closing in February. He said some construction activities will commence earlier, and emphasized that the reconciled figure does not include the cost of property.
Design details presented include a three-level housing plan, a Behavioral Care Center (BCC), a professional development center (PDC) and multipurpose rooms embedded in each housing unit so programming can occur on the unit rather than requiring escorted movement. Project staff described design themes (water, forest, meadow) intended to soften the environment and improve wayfinding.
Operational analysis is being updated by Practical Solutions for Public Safety (Karen Albert) and is expected to deliver staffing and program-cost details in a few months. Laurel Demanski Diaz, the county’s justice and health equity officer, said the design will include reentry and resource services modeled after other Ohio programs to reduce recidivism and better connect returning residents to basic needs and vocational services; she said about "300 people" have cycled through the jail eight or more times in recent years.
Council members pressed staff on several points: whether program spaces were appropriately defined and approved, how the county will handle the possibility of lower future population (and the cost to repurpose or mothball units), the choice of asphalt versus permeable pavement, the number of covered solar‑ready parking spaces and whether Cleveland will bring current bookings to the new site. Staff said parking will be free on-site, solar on covered parking is being investigated and permeable pavement could be considered as an alternate-cost item.
The committee received additional briefings on detention-grade furnishings, canine facilities, attorney visitation booths and video‑arraignment stations. Staff said they will provide more detailed timelines, cost alternatives for sustainability features and the updated operational analysis when available.
