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Multnomah County has hired Hoffman Construction Co. to build its new courthouse in Gresham. The East County Justice Center, in the Rockwood neighborhood at 185th Avenue and Stark Street, has been in the works since 2005.

Over the next month, county commissioners will decide which programs to relocate to the new building, which will replace the current facility on Powell Boulevard. Preliminary plans call for the new 70,000-square-foot building to house up to four new courtrooms, the Multnomah County Sheriff鈥檚 Office and the District Attorney鈥檚 Office, as well as a Gresham Police Department office.

鈥淓verybody鈥檚 trying to figure out what they鈥檙e going to build,鈥� Gerry Hein, a project manager with Hoffman, said. 鈥淭he challenge is Multnomah County knows there鈥檚 going to be this substantial (funding) gap.鈥�

The project, estimated to cost $12 million three years ago, has grown in scale with rises in construction costs and the addition of new programs to the building. Hoffman now estimates the cost at $16 million to $18 million, depending on the design.

鈥淐onstruction costs are up by a full one-third over the last four years; it鈥檚 certainly going to cost more than we thought it was going to cost,鈥� Doug Butler, a facilities manager for Multnomah County, said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l find ways of meeting the needs in less square feet, ways to share the facility and additional property or resources we could bring to bear on the project.鈥�

To pay for the project, the county plans to sell surplus properties, including the Hansen Building, at 12240 N.E. Glisan St., where the Sheriff鈥檚 Office is currently located, Butler said. Real estate values have increased significantly since the county purchased the properties, he said, though it鈥檚 hard to know exactly how much they鈥檒l fetch on the market.

The county has high hopes for the project, despite its limited budget. The new courthouse could help spur revitalization in the Rockwood neighborhood, Butler says. With its proximity to MAX light rail, the area has development potential; however, it has struggled to overcome poverty and crime in recent years.

In its bid to the county, Hoffman envisioned a core building shell with flexible interior spaces, similar to a tenant build-out.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always a challenge to build on a budget a space that鈥檚 secure but feels open at the same time,鈥� said Stuart Emmons, a principal with Emmons Architects who鈥檚 designing the project. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of flexibility and openness to doing strong design out there, and I definitely want to help activate Stark Street and the neighborhood. 鈥� It is a community building, so we鈥檙e making a good public space that could be a source of pride for Rockwood.鈥�

The county will begin demolition of the existing buildings on the site in August. And planning will continue under the construction manager-general contractor agreement in which the architects and builder will work together to design the building. Construction could begin as early as September, according to Hoffman.