Construction on a new Benton County Courthouse and DA’s office will be delayed, owing to some budgetary issues.
County commissioners learned of the delays at a July 5 meeting. They’ve agreed to work with the Oregon Judicial Department to scale back designs and work out funding since it’s a shared project.
Benton County’s Chief Financial Officer, Rick Crager, told KLCC that says six weeks of legislative impasse and high construction costs have also disrupted the timeline.
“The challenges of course with the delay is that there’s always the risk of cost escalation,” explained Crager. “We had a footprint we've kind of designed, we're going to have to shrink that footprint some so there's going to be redesign fees. So yeah, the timing hasn't worked out, we really needed to probably be done around May to be able to get into the ground, starting in the fall.”
Meanwhile, the existing courthouse and DA’s office remain open for business.
The current county courthouse was built in 1888 and is the oldest in Oregon. Crager said it provides judicial and legal services but adds it will need repairs “down the road” in terms of seismic rehabilitation, among other improvements.
“So again, I think from a functional standpoint, this investment makes sense to be able to do it because you're just not going to be able to stay there without any you know, real extensive rehab in the future,” he said.
While deemed structurally sound, officials say the 27,000 sq. ft. building would not withstand an earthquake.
The new courthouse is still estimated to cost $50 million, with half funded through an Oregon Judicial Department grant and the remainder with county borrowing.
Originally set for this fall, the new groundbreaking will likely be the spring of 2024.
Benton County officials’ hopes for a new jail and sheriff’s office were dashed in the May election, when more than half of voters rejected Measure 2-140. That would have generated $110 million and also supported several homeless initiatives.
