The Pearl District is in the running as the next location for the Courthouse. The Courthouse, currently located on SW Third Ave., is one hundred years old, and The Coun Multnomah ty Board of Commissioners is considering renovation.
The building, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting, “is on the National Register of Historic Places, but doesn’t mean the court’s needs for space or accessibility.”
A consulting firm has researched places to potentially move the Courthouse. The locations include the current site, the Pearl District, or Southeast Portland. The existing courthouse will most likely be demolished.
Commissioner Deborah Kafoury will be soliciting public input on the project. “Despite the fact that this is a vexing problem—I liken it to a Rubik’s Cube—we are committed to finding a solution. This is not something we can just turn our backs on,” says Kafoury.
The demolition and building on a new courthouse will cost anything from $162 million to $224 million. The county will hold at least three, maybe more, public meetings about the project. The dates on those meetings are still to be determined. Either way, the Pearl District should prepare to potentially be the next location for the Courthouse.