Passersby in downtown Eugene may wonder what’s up with the scaffolding and night crews at the Lane County Public Services Building along 7th Avenue.
Turns out it’s undergoing a $17 million update.
The building is actually a courthouse and workspace built in the 1950s and 70s, respectively. They were later merged into the county offices people know today. But the original “chiller” unit from half a century ago is being removed.
“I for one will be glad when there's no longer 180,000 gallons of water on top of the building,” laughed Lane County spokesperson Devon Ashbridge. She told KLCC that this update will modernize the cooling system and provide an extra one for the data center used to support county government services.
“And that's really critical for cooling in the building, not only from a person comfort perspective, but also our data center,” said Ashbridge. She said the county’s data center runs 24/7 and supports a number of things including the 911 systems.
The update will also separate the mechanical and electrical infrastructure for the courthouse and public services building. So if one goes out, the other stays on.
Ashbridge said while the construction is highly visible, it’s being done in a way that ensures county services will continue, uninterrupted.
“Our facilities team and our contractors have done a really nice job in trying to create a work plan that is as least disruptive as possible,” said Ashbridge. “And so right now there's been no displacement of offices, no areas of the building inaccessible to residents who need to come in for services.”
The update will take around 18 months, so there could be some disruption further down the project timeline. Ashbridge said the $17 million cost will be covered through debt issued in the form of bonds backed by the county’s capital fund.
“The county is essentially taking out a form of loan that's available to local governments for capital projects and will pay that loan back with our capital fund over time,” she said.
The Lane County Jail and its operations aren’t part of the complex and will remain unaffected by the update.
Copyright 2026, KLCC.
