Auglaize County Courthouse

History of the Auglaize County Courthouse

• 1893 Ohio General Assembly passed a bill ordering the Auglaize County Commissioners to issue bonds for the construction of a new courthouse.

– Columbus based architectural firm of Kremer and Hart designed the building and provided construction cost of $102,563.80

– December, 1894 BOCC took possession of the building and had a final cost of $259,481.21

• Commissioners Barth, Kelley and Logan all lost their next election

• Today, we are thankful for the triumvirate’s decision to make the countless change orders and alterations for they gave us a beautiful, iconic and majestic masterpiece to work with in our renovation/restoration project.

• Illustrates the importance of having a properly vetted and envisioned plan and why communication with the public is critical

History of the Auglaize County Courthouse

– The courthouse was built entirely of Berea sandstone, with tile flooring, and nearly as fireproof as is possible to construct a building of its character. The county owns the electric lighting plant by which the entire building is lighted from the basement to dome and in the powerhouse are located the boilers furnishing steam by which it is heated throughout.

– From the 1898 Atlas of Auglaize County, Ohio

Planning for the Project

• Feasibility and Needs Assessment 1999– Interviewed all elected officials/dept. heads

– Analyzed all courthouse space

• Administration Building, 2003– $5.5 million; PAID CASH

– Open house and reveal Phase II

• Garmann/Miller continued courthouse analysis– 2003 thru 2012

– Review, Revise, Review, Revise—sign off

• How do we pay for it?

• Communicate with the public throughout the entire process

Building Public Support

• Financing Plan– Portion of monthly sales tax to permanent improvement

account• Project will not start until all money is saved• Instead of Remember the Alamo!

– Remember Commissioners Barth, Kelley, and Logan

• Constantly Inform the Public of the Plan• Work with the Media!

– Obviously transparency but encourage local media to be along for the entire ride.

– Encourage them to attend monthly walk thru and take pictures for the paper.

– Toledo Blade article

Building Public Support

• Ownership from Elected Officials– Interviews and revisions—they

are the experts of their needs, not the BOCC or courthouse renovation committee

– Explain to them entire plan/vision/payment plan

• They will become cheerleaders for the project!

– Closing the Courthouse Barbecue• Culminating Party for the two

year long closing of the courthouse

– Media was present and wrote articles in the paper

– A major adjustment period for ALL during the renovation

– A poem was read

ODE TO THE COURTHOUSE

• After 116 years, you are beginning to look a little old and grey,

Things are shifting, settling and drooping every day.

With a few replacements, nips and tucks

You will once again look like a million bucks

We know what it feels like to begin to get old;

You at least get to put your age on hold.

Two years they will go by fast;

Then we will be back home at last.

To work within your walls as before;

And celebrate your grandeur once more.

Building Public Support

• The Tour– Midway thru permitted employees to tour the courthouse

• They became better cheerleaders for the project!

• Temporary Courthouse—two years – Elected officials/department head tours of six prospective

temporary facilities• Encouraged the media to ride along

• Pros/Cons of the sites—Ownership

– Chose using our own facilities except for veterans services and prosecutors office for municipal court

• Temporary quarters cost $45,000 of which $25,000 improved our basement in the Administration Building.

Building Public Support

• Get a Grant!

– Recipient of $1.3 million State of Ohio Energy Efficiency and Conservation Development Block Grant—came from stimulus dollars

• PUBLICIZED, PUBLICIZED, PUBLICIZED

• HVAC and lighting upgrades

– This allowed us to move forward with the project

– Reimbursable so budget was tight until the check was deposited

Building Public Support

• Find a Treasure!– 14’ by 7’8” mural depicting

Pickett’s Charge

– WPA project by German immigrant, Herman Dinkler

– Thought to have been covered up in the late 1950s

– Fully restored by Blanck Studios of Wisconsin

– This was a conversation piece by the public who couldn’t wait to see the mural

Building Public Support

• Perfect Building to Renovate/Restore

– Structurally solid and fully functional

– Able to envision preserving this 19th century building to perform to the expectations of 21st century justice

– Ability to add space to 116 year old building was a major selling point

• Lower Level 12,890 S.F.

• First Floor 12,890 S.F.

• Secong Floor 12,890 S.F.

• Third Floor 3,883 S.F.

• Fourth Floor 4,136 S.F.

Original square footage

of the courthouse

Newly added floors during

the renovation

Added Prosecutor’s office on third floor and law library, HVAC and

maintenance office on fourth floor.

Prosecutor’s Office

Building Public Support

• Security

– 6 forms of ingress/egress to 1 secured ingress/egress

• A learning process

– Safety of Juvenile, Probate, Domestic Relations judge

• Pre-renovation his office on first floor and court lower level.

• Walked right thru hallway between parties he would soon make emotional rulings on

• Website

– Use website or social media to provide virtual tour of the renovation

– Still on website for posterity

– www.auglaizecounty.org

• Search courthouse pictures

Building Public Support

Celebrate the Endeavor

• Rededication Ceremony/Open House– Do It Right– Enlist countywide help

• Historical Societies, Church groups, color guard, chamber of commerce, local volunteers (ribbons and poem), Auglaize County Swing Band, etc.

• Remember this is the residents’ day

• We did not inherit the courthouse from the past; we are borrowing it from the future.

Scope of the Work

• General Contractor $3,307,624• Electrical $1,305,335• HVAC $1,219,799• Furniture $529,599• Painting $506,000• Millwork $432,467• Plumbing $382,365• Architect $358,994• Fire Suppression $204,647• Stained Glass $154,904• Access points, switchesm monitors $62,135• Cameras $51,383• Audio & Video $42,884• Asbestos Removal $35,640

• Questions?

• Doug Spencer

Auglaize County Commissioner

dspencer@auglaizecounty.org

419.739.6710