County approves bids for courthouse design, construction

By: Walker

8 Comments

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  gramarye September 7, 2006 3:09 pm

  I’m definitely enthused.

  My views about the juvenile detention center there are well-known by this point, but seeing a major project like this swallow up those four blocks of ugly parking lots right along High, Mound, Main, and Front is going to be an enormous step in the right direction.
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  Brewmaster September 7, 2006 3:21 pm

  Definitely. I walk by there almost every day and think of how nice it will be when it’s all filled in. I also like that Pizzuti is talking about making these buildings mixed-use with ground level retail/restaurant space and also integrating condos into the buildings.

  I wonder what happened to the RiverSouth Master Plan that we were supposed to hear about this spring/summer??? Is Nationwide showing thier bias towards the arena district?
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  gramarye September 7, 2006 4:24 pm

  What was/is Nationwide’s relationship to the RiverSouth plan, again? Are they actually coming out with it? I thought it was some development arm of the city coming out with it, with Nationwide just getting consulted on account of them representing a potentially large pool of money that they might or might not be willing to put at risk there.
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  Brewmaster September 7, 2006 4:31 pm

  I could be wrong, but I think Nationwide is developing the “RiverSouth Master Plan” for the Downtown Devlopment Comission. They are also acting as a consultant to the comission on what to do with City Center Mall should Mills Corp. decide to hand over the keys.

  I have no basis for my comment above, other than it seems like they’re taking thier time with the master plan. On the flipside, everything Nationwide does in the Arena District happens at light speed (north bank condos, their new office building, burnham square, etc…).
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  Columbusite September 7, 2006 4:45 pm

  I didn’t see mention of the condos or restaurants in the link. It’s on Pizzuti’s site here: http://www.pizzuti.com/buzz_detail.asp?buzzid=107 . That is such a great idea, I thought it was just going to be a courthouse. While that is an improvement over a parking lot it doesn’t offer anything unless you have to go there. The addition of condos, etc will totally change that in a huge way. Just wonderful news.
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  Walker September 7, 2006 4:55 pm

  Columbusite wrote I thought it was just going to be a courthouse.

  You must have missed this back in March. 8)
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  Columbusite September 7, 2006 5:18 pm

  No kidding. I don’t know how I missed that, but hey, it’s new to me. :) The streetcar will work very nicely with this. I want them to make an official decision soon so that more development like this on the 1st route will take place.
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  Walker February 5, 2007 11:50 am

  FRANKLIN COUNTY

  Lawyers: Proposed courthouse too small

  Saturday, January 27, 2007

  Barbara Carmen and Robert Vitale

  THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

  The first shovelful of dirt has yet to be dug for the new Franklin County Courthouse, but lawyers already are filing objections.

  Bar President Belinda S. Barnes said she recently saw slides and drawings at a 4½-hour meeting with county officials and their construction-management company.

  In an interview yesterday, Barnes reiterated her points: The new building would be about the same size as the current, toocramped courthouse; the county would not have room to add an 18 th judge to ease the swamped court docket; and taxpayers would pay $100 million for a new but “obsolete” building.

  County officials, however, said they are still putting out ideas to gather response and are weeks from knowing the new building’s design or cost.

  READ MORE