In March the space next to the Hayes Building on Sandusky Street was nothing more than a muddy hole in the ground. Over the months the new Delaware County judicial building has quickly grown up out of that hole.

“It’s coming along pretty fast isn’t it,” commented Commissioner Gary Merrell during Thursday’s session.

County Administrator Ferzan Ahmed reported to commissioners Thursday that Jon Melvin, interim facilities director, has been giving tours of the new judicial building on Sandusky Street in Delaware during the construction.

“It’s been very popular especially with the people who are going to be working in the courthouse,” he told commissioners. “As the construction is going up we’re showing them what is going on and people seem to enjoy it.”

Even though the weather has remained favorable Lendlease officials, construction management, had reported earlier in the year to county commissioners of labor shortages.

Gary Rutledge, vice president, had told county commissioners in April of a labor shortage. “It’s a labor shortage that prevented a lot of people from being able to bid on the project,” he said. “We reached out to the Cleveland market, West Virginia, Cincinnati and to all our contacts that we have thorough all the state of Ohio.”

However, the construction of the new building has quickly moved forward. The elevator shafts and stairwells have been completed and the steel is now in place for the frame of the five-story building.

Once completed in June 2017, the $38 million, 94,450 square-foot building will have plazas between the Hayes Building and the main entrance with two levels of underground parking with the lowest level for staff and the public, along with security screening equipment. The second level parking area is to be for staff and a separate in-custody defendant delivery.

The third story will house the Clerk of Courts Office, grand jury space, adult court services and public parking.

Jan Antonoplos, clerk of courts, told The Gazette earlier this year she has been a part of the new building committee since the beginning. She said she’s especially excited about the much-needed space for the clerk’s office.

However, Antonoplos decided not to run for another term in office and will be leaving at the end of this year. Since she will be leaving office before the building is completed, she won’t make the move to the new office and she doesn’t seem to mind.

“I don’t like moving,” she said jokingly.

The fourth and fifth stories will house courtrooms, hearing and mediation rooms for the current courts to move into in June.

All five stories will have in-custody defendant holding areas for security purposes.