CHARDON, Ohio — After 150 years as the centerpiece for Geauga County, the historic courthouse in Chardon is wrapping up a major upgrade, which is set to more than double its size.
The original courthouse was completed in 1870 during the Reconstruction Era following the Civil War. The $20 million project adds another 32,000 sq ft to the existing 22,000 sq ft building.
"We have somewhat outgrown this building," Judge Carolyn Paschke said. "The county has grown in size and we have people working in rooms that were really intended as closets."
"It's about time we updated our courthouse," Commissioner Jim Dvorak added.
The old courthouse presented significant security challenges, with no holding cells for defendants and witnesses, and everyone using the same entrance and exit.
"In the old courthouse you'd have situations where you'd have a defendant sitting on a bench in not a very big hallway and his or her victim could be walking right by," Commissioner Carolyn Brakey said. "These are not great situations for our residents."
Along with several judges and county commissioners, News 5 was granted a tour of the space as crews are in the final stages of construction. The new section includes formal holding cells, double the number of conference rooms for attorneys and clients, and major security upgrades.
County officials worked carefully to ensure the new building's exterior matches the historic structure, addressing concerns about maintaining the courthouse's architectural integrity.
"That was the number one question – is the brick going to match, how about the stone, the corners, the quoin corners," Dvorak said.
"We're making progress, but we're still respecting the old building," said Brakey. "This courthouse expansion has been a good marriage between old and new. We were able to keep our historic courthouse, which is really a symbol for Geauga County and really marry it to this new space which has modern technology and most importantly modern safety features."
The expansion includes modern amenities like heated sidewalks and significant sound reduction features to minimize noise from traffic and improve the acoustic environment inside.
"A lot of what you're looking at is meant to reduce the sound and any echo," Joe Daughtery from Infinity Construction Company said. "They're sound absorbing. So is the ceiling. That's a big difference from a building with single pane glass in it and hearing the semi trucks go by."
"We're going to keep upgrading along the way to make it safe and sound for all our employees and the public," Dvorak said.
County officials hope to move into the new space and have it operational by January. A formal ribbon-cutting is tentatively planned for February.
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.
