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Change is in the air for the Multnomah County Courthouse, and at a Thursday open house 鈥� the first of two 鈥� planners for a new structure reminded attendees that, historically, 鈥渃hange is the only constant鈥� in reference to the two proposed sites.

Project team members explained the pros and cons of the preferred site and alternate site, the histories of both sites and details on project needs, timeline and funding to drop-in attendees at the open house.

After evaluations of 11 potential locations, the project team chose a preferred site 鈥� a block bounded by Southwest Jefferson and Madison streets, First Avenue and Naito Parkway 鈥� and an alternate site 鈥� bounded by Southwest Clay and Columbia streets and First and Second avenues 鈥� on which they’re now performing due diligence, including requests for public input.

鈥淲e had about 70 people visit the open house, and we’re very happy with how it went,鈥� county spokesman Mike Pullen said. 鈥淎ttendees were generally favorable about the preferred site and a lot of the people at the open house were people who are interested in working on the project.鈥�

Photos on display of the preferred site from 1909, 1949, 1963, 1979 and present day support the planning team’s statement that change is the only constant for the site, showing that at least until 1949, there were buildings occupying the now-empty space on the block surrounding the existing Jefferson Station building and the attached building holding longtime downtown restaurant Veritable Quandary.

Pullen said the owners of both Jefferson Station and Veritable Quandary attended the open house, asking questions of project planners.

鈥淏oth parties that share the preferred site block have expressed concerns,鈥� Pullen said. 鈥淭hey have both said they appreciate the information we’re providing.鈥�

County officials will wait to address specific concerns from building and business owners near both sites until a final site decision has been made, Pullen said.

Concept plans for both sites show an L-shaped building with a ground-level sally port for prisoner transport security, one of many features that the 100-year-old existing courthouse lacks.

Among those deficiencies, the project planners identified a less-than-ideal security situation, where defendants are walked through public areas on their way to court. Additionally, the existing courthouse doesn’t meet current seismic codes, isn’t large enough to meet the county’s needs and is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain as it ages.

The new courthouse 鈥渨ill accommodate best practices that cannot be met in the existing building,鈥� according to Pullen.

Amenities outlined at Thursday’s open house included an efficient, environmentally sustainable building with improved technology, adequate space with separate circulation for employees, defendants and the public.

Preliminary cost projections are between $250 million and $260 million, with funding split 50-50 between the county and the state.

One of the advantages of building on the preferred site is that Multnomah County already owns the land, which project planners estimate would save about $20 million in project costs. Other pros identified at the preferred site and outlined at the open house include its prominent downtown location at the Hawthorne bridgehead, its proximity to the Justice Center on Southwest Third Avenue, improved in-custody transport, access to an existing parking garage and a need for only minimal demolition.

Many of the identified pros of the preferred site are identified by project planners as cons at the alternate site. For example, land acquisition would increase project costs, 鈥渟ecurity concerns鈥� would be tied to an adjacent underground garage entrance and there would be no nearby staging area.

The two sites are being evaluated for criteria such as accessibility to public transportation, safety and security, staging and construction logistics and their geotechnical and seismic attributes.

The county, at the open house, outlined a project timeline that includes site selection by early April and the issuance of a request for proposals by the end of April. By July, the county plans to choose an architect and contractor and will start with final design in August. Construction should begin in fall 2016, with project completion and move-in scheduled for early 2020.

The second open house is scheduled for Feb. 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in room 130 of the Multnomah County Courthouse, 1021 S.W. Fourth Ave.

An online open house with opportunity to comment will be available starting Feb. 5 and ending Feb. 23, Pullen said. To participate in the online open house, visit .