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Multnomah County commissioners on Thursday were in a veritable quandary about Veritable Quandary and the proposed new Multnomah County courthouse that could become a neighbor of the restaurant.

The 43-year-old Veritable Quandary 鈥� a downtown restaurant that has dubbed itself an 鈥榦asis’ because of its foliage-filled outdoor patio 鈥� sits adjacent to county-owned property that is the preferred site for a new Multnomah County courthouse.

The commission on Thursday voted 5-0 to pursue development on that preferred location 鈥� adjacent to and north of the Veritable Quandary patio space. Commissioners cited reasons such as safe prisoner transport, secured parking for judges and construction costs.

The planning team for the courthouse project presented its reasons for choosing the First Avenue site to the commission. Ken Elliott, Multnomah County assistant attorney, said using a site already owned by the county will save it between $20 million and $22 million. Henry Alaman, director of facilities and property management for Multnomah County, said the 100-plus-year-old courthouse would likely experience a catastrophic failure if a major earthquake were to strike the area, emphasizing that time is of the essence for the project.

Project planners have been working with Veritable Quandary owner Dennis King to mitigate possible effects from the disturbance of construction and the new atmosphere the neighborhood would have if the grassy lot adjacent to the restaurant was no longer open space. The planners have agreed to design the building around the Veritable Quandary patio, but King and his employees don’t think that’s enough to save the business.

Veritable Quandary has operated at 1220 S.W. First Ave. since King purchased the spot in 1975. He fears that courthouse construction would put him out of business.

鈥淚t’s hard to imagine it being a destination restaurant in a courthouse,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 would be devastated to lose it, but I don’t know if it would have the same ambience 鈥� I’m not sure if we’d survive construction.鈥�

Lindsay King, Dennis King’s daughter, also pleaded with the commission to abandon plans to build at the First Avenue site.

鈥淚’m not against building a new courthouse,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I question whether development has to come at the cost of a family-owned business.鈥�

Commissioners listened to more than an hour of testimony both against and in favor of locating the future courthouse on the preferred site. Most of the citizens testifying against the location were employees or regular patrons of Veritable Quandary. Most of those who testified in favor of the site were attorneys or other employees who work at the courthouse on a regular basis.

鈥淲e know that our building is not safe. We operate in it every day hoping against hope that the earth will not shake and it will stand,鈥� Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Nan Waller said. 鈥淚f the earth were to shake and we were to be out of business for a while, the impact on our community would be significant.鈥�

Attorney Elisa Dozono testified that she 鈥渓oves the VQ,鈥� but added that she values 鈥渢he justice system, and, frankly, my safety鈥� more. She said she hopes the county will work with Veritable Quandary to mitigate any effects the construction may have on the restaurant.

鈥淎ny time that I or a member of my firm goes to the courthouse to file papers or appear in front of a judge or jury, we have to hope it’s not the day that an earthquake hits,鈥� Dozono said. 鈥淎nd while I understand that many may not mourn the loss of an attorney, every day hundreds of court staff, witnesses and children of people who are called to court walk through that building.鈥�

Though the vote was unanimous, several commissioners expressed hope that Veritable Quandary will survive the design and construction of the new courthouse.

鈥淭his vote today is not a vote to close the VQ,鈥� Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury said.

The commission voted to move forward with environmental and geotechnical analysis on the First Avenue site, though that doesn’t mean that the second site 鈥� a lot between the KOIN Center and a Marriott hotel currently used for surface parking 鈥� is off of the table.

鈥淭oday’s decision is not a final blessing of any particular site,鈥� Commissioner Diane McKeel said.

Commissioner Jules Bailey addressed citizens’ concerns that the public process in choosing a site was lacking, saying he believed the commission failed to keep the public informed during the selection process.

鈥淚 hear that you feel stuck,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he fact is that I think the city is stuck here too. The things we need for this courthouse converge on this site. This site isn’t perfect, but it is possible.鈥�