Oklahoma City has issued a building code violation notice to Oklahoma County regarding ongoing renovations at the Oklahoma County Courthouse and Annex Building. The notice, issued earlier this month, comes just as tensions between the city and county over the new county jail location appeared to be easing. This follows a legal battle where the Oklahoma Attorney General sided with the county.

The notice was posted by a city municipal code inspector on a construction fence surrounding the courthouse and annex renovations at 320 Robert S. Kerr Ave., downtown. The violation involves the need for a Certificate of Approval for public and private projects in certain downtown districts, including the Downtown Business District (DBD), Downtown Transitional District Limited (DTD-1), and Downtown Transitional District General (DTD-2).

"You are hereby ordered to abate the violation(s) on or before 2/20/2025," the notice states. "If the above described violation(s) are not abated by you within the time limits specified, you may be issued a citation for each day that a violation exists." It goes on to warn that failure to correct the violation could lead to criminal prosecution in Oklahoma City Municipal Court.

The city’s citation appears to have caught Oklahoma County officials by surprise. District 3 Commissioner Myles Davidson, who chairs the Board of County Commissioners, said, “We are still trying to figure out what's going on.” County officials had just recently celebrated a legal win on the new jail's location, and this violation notice raises further questions, especially considering the lack of clarity on whether the city typically inspects county projects and issues violations.

Further complicating the situation, Oklahoma City has issued additional code violation notices to the county. Recent citations included one for a tree that needed maintenance across from the courthouse, one for trees that required trimming, and a trip hazard at a street corner. According to Davidson, the city is responsible for these violations since they are located on city property, not county land.

Despite the ongoing tension, the two sides have taken a step toward collaboration, with the Oklahoma County commissioners voting to drop a lawsuit against the city following the Attorney General's decision regarding the jail's location. However, the building code violation adds a new layer of complexity to the county-city relationship.

Davidson further emphasized that while the violation notice at the courthouse annex construction is currently under review, it is not related to the larger dispute over the jail site, which has now been resolved. The situation remains fluid as both parties navigate their roles and responsibilities in this ongoing issue.

The city’s ongoing scrutiny of Oklahoma County’s construction projects has raised questions about the future interactions between the two entities, especially as both continue to navigate complex legal and operational challenges. With the courthouse project still underway, it remains to be seen how this latest citation will impact future development and cooperation between Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County.

Originally reported by Richard Mize in The Oklahoman.