MAHONING COUNTY Officials will seek bids for appeals court space

Bid requirements include access to expressways and public transportation.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County commissioners will soon seek bids for new office space for the 7th District Court of Appeals.
A pre-bid meeting for interested property owners will be Oct. 30, after which bids will be accepted until Nov. 6.
Commissioners are seeking some 14,000 square feet of office space to house the court, which currently sits on the fourth floor of the county courthouse.
The court, which has four judges and 15 employees, has long been out of space. Several attempts to find more room inside the courthouse or in nearby buildings have fallen through.
County Administrator Gary Kubic said commissioners now will open the process to bidders in any of the eight counties the court serves. They include Mahoning, Columbiana, Carroll, Harrison, Jefferson, Noble, Belmont and Monroe.
Kubic said he's sent letters to commissioners in all those counties, asking them to alert contractors or building owners about the project.
Mahoning's responsibility
As the largest county in the district, Mahoning is charged with seeing that the court has space. The other counties contribute toward the cost.
If a site in another county is selected, it would be the first time in the court's history that it was located anywhere other than Youngstown.
Kubic said commissioners would like to see the court stay in Youngstown, or at least in Mahoning County, for convenience because it's where the county and federal courts are located.
"We have our preferences, but we can't restrict," Kubic said. "This is an open process. Any bidder who feels they meet the requirements can participate."
Requirements
The bid requirements include that the proposed site have convenient access to north-south and east-west expressways and cross-county roads where possible.
It also must be within one mile of at least one expressway access ramp, within a reasonable walking distance to mass transit, within a reasonable distance to its county courthouse and a post office and in close proximity to at least one financial institution.
Bidders are also required to furnish free parking for 30 employees and 20 visitors. The parking lost must be paved with either asphalt or concrete, and must be monitored by a video camera that is linked to a security office inside the court.
bjackson@vindy.com