What do you do with a historic courthouse that soon won’t be needed? Benton County is trying to figure that out.
Since 1889, the Benton County Courthouse has been an imposing presence in downtown Corvallis. But county leaders say the building is essentially obsolete and falls far short of modern standards for accessibility and judicial system functionality. So the county put in motion a plan to build a new courthouse on the edge of Corvallis. It's set to open in about two years.
The county isn't planning to tear the old courthouse down. But they still don’t know for sure what to do with it.
An advisory panel has already ruled out commercial or residential use of the building. Many options remain on the table, including "government and civic use, arts, culture and education uses, or a mixed-use combination," according to a recent press release.
The public can weigh in with ideas online through Feb. 15.
