HOOD RIVER — Hood River’s courthouse has been deemed one of the “lowest ranked/highest need” courthouses in Oregon. Though vital for required public services, the county reports that it is unfeasible to self-fund the update of the courthouse and administrative facilities, so they are requesting general obligation funding from the state.
Concerns have been raised at several county meetings over the years about the dire need for facility updates. Originally built in 1954, the courthouse was later remodeled and expanded in 1979. It serves the circuit court, district attorney, law library, sheriff’s office, community corrections, juvenile, and prevention operations.
In 2009, the county courthouse was ranked 46th out of 48 in the statewide Courthouse Facilities Assessment. It was assessed as “expecting to suffer severe structural and non-structural damage in the design earthquake,” meaning it is not seismically reinforced. The assessment also rated the building configuration “excessive upgrade required” in order to meet state courthouse design standards.
When asked for specific examples of courthouse deficiencies, County Administrator Allison Williams listed security and space as two of the top issues. She wrote that the courthouse currently has “no space for jury assembly,” so that is done in the hallway where the public, defendants, and judges are also interacting.
Judges do not have secure routes from the courtroom to their offices, parking is scarce and unsafe with ADA concerns, and overall HVAC improvements and roof replacements are also part of the discussion. Wilson mentioned that new construction was determined “much more efficient” than retrofitting the current building.
Staff has put forward a timeline to work on courthouse improvements, showing that the planning phase will be completed by June 2025 and additional funding or grant opportunities will be assembled in 2026. Construction design will follow in 2027 with actual groundbreaking progress expected by 2029. They estimated a 24-month construction window.
The board of commissioners approved a capital funding request for the state to share project costs, which is estimated at $276,455,203. The county is requesting 31% of that from Oregon, totaling $85,826,843.
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