Ohio Courthouse Plaza Project Now Complete

By Lisa Kopochinski

TROY, Ohio—Miami County officials recently dedicated a new $3.6 million courthouse plaza that reflects the historic 1880s courthouse.

The plaza, located on Main Street in downtown Troy—a city located 19 miles north of Dayton—was designed by Garmann-Miller Architects and Engineers.

The first phase of the project, which included the demolition of the original site, was completed by E. Lee Construction Inc. of Delphos, Ohio. Outdoor Enterprise of Casstown, Ohio completed the second phase, which included the construction of new design of the plaza.

County Commissioner Greg Simmons said, in a statement, that this project was needed for several reasons. These included a series of underground tunnels that came from the power plant across Water Street to the 1880s courthouse to heat and air condition the building, and the caving in of some of the tunnels over time. There also were issues with the two plaza fountains that were leaking and the deterioration of a series of small steps across the plaza that had become trip hazard.

Features of the new plaza include enhanced lighting for both security and aesthetics, night lighting that highlights the historic courthouse’s architecture, use of 1850s jail stones in the new fountain south of the courthouse and for seating around the plaza, addition of plaques to explain the statues atop the courthouse, and use of the original grounds sidewalks in the floor of the fountain.

The layout “allows the plaza space to be freely used by the community, keeping it open enough for gathering … It is the people’s place,” said Commissioner Ted Mercer, in a statement. “We are very proud of the plaza.”

The dedication ceremony included a fly over by a historic WACO aircraft, which were built in Troy from the 1920s into the 1940s. This was then followed by rededication of the County Police Memorial, also located on the plaza.