CHARDON, Ohio — For the first time in 150 years, the historic Geauga County Courthouse in Chardon has a new look following the completion of a $20 million expansion project.
A ribbon cutting Tuesday highlighted the recently wrapped up construction project on the 32,000-square-foot addition, which more than doubles the size of the original 22,000-square-foot building completed in 1870.
"The old building was built for 1800s security – now we have better security and we have a much more functional space," Judge Carolyn Paschke said.
The new space includes larger courtrooms, twice as many conference rooms for attorneys and clients, and major security upgrades. Notably, the expansion introduces formal holding cells for inmates, addressing a significant security challenge from the old building where defendants and victims often shared the same hallways.
Back in December, News 5 was granted an early look at the space. Watch that story here:
RELATED: Geauga County wrapping up $20 million courthouse expansion
"I’m happy we’ve got a place where we are comfortable, our employees are comfortable and the public can be comfortable and secure," Judge Matt Rambo said.
County officials worked to ensure the new building's exterior matches the historic structure's brick, stone, and quoin corners.
The expansion also features modern amenities, such as heated sidewalks to combat heavy snowfall and sound-reduction materials to minimize traffic noise in courtrooms.
For Congressman Dave Joyce, the project is long overdue. Rep. Joyce worked at the courthouse beginning as a public defender in 1984 before becoming the county prosecutor for nearly 25 years.
"We've come a long way and those designs have been out there since the 1990s and I'm glad the commissioners took the efforts and brought it to fruition," Joyce said.
With the expansion complete, the original 1870 courthouse is now being refurbished to house other county offices.
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
