City and county can work together to provide space, cut costs for both

The city of Youngstown needs more space for the Youngstown Municipal Court, with better courthouse security. Rather than incurring the cost ($6 million to $8 million) and delays of new construction, or rehabilitating the old City Annex, this need can be met faster and more cost-effectively by leasing space in the Mahoning County Courthouse to the Youngstown Municipal Court.

The Mahoning County Courthouse is an architectural masterpiece, with the decorum and dignity that the municipal court deserves. It already has the security screening and staffing provided by the Mahoning County sheriff. This eliminates the need for the city to duplicate these expensive services, providing more efficient use of limited tax dollars.

Courthouse lease payments would defray a share of Mahoning County’s cost of building repairs, maintenance, and security.

Space can be made available in the Mahoning County Courthouse by moving all non-justice-related offices to Oakhill Renaissance Place. Limit the Courthouse to the judges, clerk of courts, prosecutors, and sheriff’s Courthouse staff, just like Trumbull County did decades ago. The county auditor, treasurer and recorder offices are already cramped. Oakhill Renaissance Place would provide sufficient space to double or even triple the space available to these offices. This creates an opportunity for a one-stop real estate/economic development center at Oakhill, with all of the offices related to real estate transactions on the same floor.

Other offices that should be moved to this center include the GIS map department, planning commission, building inspection and county commissioners. The planning commission is housed in the back offices of the Mahoning County Health Department in Austintown. Moving both these offices to Oakhill would save the taxpayers some more rent expense.

Additional county revenue and jobs can be attracted to our region by leasing Oakhill space to state and federal government offices. This existing vacant office space can be offered at very competitive prices, compared to the cost of new buildings or expensive commercial leases.

James J. Pirko, Niles