MEDINA, Ohio—For 44 years, the Medina Municipal Court operated out of its cramped facility on North Elmwood Avenue. As the local community expanded over the decades, court operations faced growing challenges: overcrowded courtrooms, outdated infrastructure, and shared public hallways where visitors, staff, and in-custody defendants frequently crossed paths.
That long-standing spatial challenge came to an end on Friday, September 25, 2026, when city leadership, judicial officers, and project partners gathered for a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the newly renovated Medina Municipal Court. Official operations in the modernized building began the following Monday, September 28.
The multi-million-dollar transformation breathes new life into a prominent local landmark—the historic 1969 courthouse located at 93 Public Square. The Greek Revival-style building with its iconic white pillars previously housed the Medina County Court of Common Pleas before sitting underutilized. Through a collaborative adaptive reuse initiative, the City of Medina successfully repurposed the structure into a modern, highly secure municipal court complex.
Strategic Architectural Planning
Cleveland-based architecture firm Brandstetter Carroll, Inc. served as the principal designer for the project. The architects faced a delicate challenge: integrate modern judicial safety standards, technological enhancements, and ADA-compliant accessibility within the structural shell of a historic building.
Central to Brandstetter Carroll’s architectural design was a comprehensive overhaul of building circulation. Modern courthouse facilities require distinct boundaries between public spaces, judicial chambers, and secure prisoner transport corridors. The redesign established:
Segregated Public and Staff Circulation: Dedicated access zones ensure court personnel and judicial officers can move securely throughout the facility without passing through public waiting areas.
Direct Inmate Transport Security: A secure holding facility with controlled elevators and dedicated corridors connects directly to transport pathways from the Medina County Jail.
Expanded Judicial Capacity: Private chambers and individual offices were tailored for judicial officers, alongside expanded courtrooms equipped for multi-party proceedings.
Expert Construction Management
Execution of the complex renovation was entrusted to The Ruhlin Company, based in nearby Sharon Center, Ohio. Serving as the project’s Construction Manager at Risk (CMR), Ruhlin collaborated closely with city officials and architects from the early pre-construction stages through final delivery.
Managing adaptive reuse within an existing structure required precise coordination. Ruhlin oversaw substantial structural and MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) overhauls. Key physical upgrades included:
Building Automation & Systems: Installation of new rooftop HVAC units engineered to improve climate control and overall energy efficiency.
Vertical Transportation: Integration of new elevator infrastructure to provide full accessibility across all floors.
Courtroom Technology Integrations: Outfitting courtrooms with upgraded audio/visual capabilities, digital evidence presentation systems, and remote testimony infrastructure.
A Safer, Modernized Civic Anchor
Beyond solving immediate logistical constraints, the relocation preserves the architectural heritage of Medina’s historic Public Square. Rather than constructing a new facility on the periphery of town, the city’s investment reinforces downtown Medina as a vibrant civic center.
With separate circulation paths, upgraded judicial technology, and robust safety protocols now in place, the new Medina Municipal Court offers a secure, dignified environment for the public and court staff alike for decades to come.
