The Benton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Friday to add the District Attorney’s office to the upcoming construction of a new county courthouse. The decision adds another $8 million dollars to the cost of the project.
Nick Kurth is Benton County’s Justice System Improvement Program Manager. He told commissioners the efficiency gained by having the D-A in the same building as the courthouse will offset the extra up-front cost.
“The real costs aren’t the bricks and mortar, but the cost of doing business year after year after year," said Kurth. "So the more efficient that we are, the greater the savings will be for the county and for the public.”
The new facilities are set to open in 2025, replacing Benton County’s historic courthouse in downtown Corvallis. County leaders are still negotiating with the owners of the property where they’d like to build the new courthouse, but have said they’ll use eminent domain to acquire it if needed.