MOUNT VERNON – Renovations to the Mount Vernon Municipal Court’s current building at 5 Gay St. were considered too expensive by a committee of city officials, which made it necessary to find a new home for the court.
The building also houses the Mount Vernon Police Department and City Law Director, making a new home for those offices necessary also, according to a press release from the city.
The Ohio Revised Code requires that a city shall provide “suitable accommodations” for a Municipal Court and its officers. The site must be separate from non-judicial governmental agencies and should be in a building that is “dignified and properly maintained.”
The committee picked land on the Public Square after examining costs for it and properties at Cooper Progress Park ($2.6 million, plus annual property association fee up to $50,000) and along the east side of South Sandusky Street from West High south to West Gambier Street ($4.4 million).
The Public Square property at 3 E. High, 16 N. Main, 4 E. Chestnut and 6 E. Chestnut streets will cost the city $1.7 million after demolition costs.
The court handled more than 5,000 cases in 2021, Municipal Court Judge John Thatcher said. Pre-pandemic years had even higher numbers. The current building is too small and outdated to serve the public’s needs, he said.
The property at 3 E. High St. on the northeast side of the Public Square will house the new Municipal Courthouse, as well as the offices of the Law Director. The properties on North Main and East Chestnut streets directly north of City Hall will be utilized as an annex for city offices.
