City staff and contractors present design, budget and schedule updates for city hall and justice center; project estimate about $1.5M over earlier budget

City staff and outside design and construction teams gave Council a detailed update on two linked capital projects: a renovation/addition for the Justice Center and a new/renovated City Hall at 480 Town Center.

Budget and design reconciliation: Hill Construction and Henning Construction presented schematic estimates reconciled with the design team’s assumptions. The combined project budget presented last year was $29.2 million; the current consolidated estimate is $30.7 million — about $1.5 million over the prior target. Presenters said they have executed three estimate iterations and completed value-engineering that removed some exterior patios and glass, reduced certain additions, relocated entrances and modified finishes to control costs. The team said further design-development work is expected to narrow the gap.

Federal earmark and funding: The team noted a $1 million federal earmark recently awarded to the city that can only be used for police-eligible equipment and security/technology needs for the Justice Center; the presenters estimated $300,000–$500,000 of those funds may offset capital equipment costs but cautioned it will not entirely close the budget variance.

Justice Center specifics: The justice-center presentation included a site plan that preserves the one-way access on 5th Street, adds a brick-stamped sidewalk and slightly reduces the addition’s footprint. Designers highlighted mandatory storm shelters required by Ohio building code, a two-bay sally port, renovations to two courtrooms, and soil-bearing and stormwater issues behind the existing police department. The team described ground-improvement options (stone columns and expanded piping/catch basins) intended to reduce basement flooding and sewer backups reported in the current facility.

City Hall (480 Town Center) layout and program: The proposed 480 plan dedicates the ground floor to parks/active-adult programming (multi-purpose room with warming kitchen, billiards, fitness), the second floor to the council chamber and meeting rooms, and the third floor to administrative offices including the mayor and finance. Council members raised accessibility concerns for active-adult users and whether ADA parking and restroom fixtures were sufficient. Architects said the current fixture counts meet minimum Ohio building-code requirements and offered to provide the plumbing/fixture calculations and to explore adding restrooms if the council wants to increase capacity beyond code minimums.

Schedule and procurement path: The construction schedule presented calls for finishing design development in early–mid May, conducting another detailed estimate, targeting a GMP (guaranteed maximum price) and bid reconciliations by October, and starting construction on the 480 Town Center in February 2027 with the justice center to follow; the teams said the two projects will overlap and estimated roughly 16 months of combined construction once started.

What happens next: Staff will continue value-engineering, identify eligible uses for the federal earmark, provide plumbing/fixture calculations and a more detailed cost breakdown, and return to council with a recommended financing plan (bonding or interim notes) once a final GMP is available.