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Construction has started on a replacement courthouse for Clackamas County. A ground-breaking ceremony was held Feb. 3.

The original courthouse in downtown Oregon City, built in 1936, is functionally obsolete and can no longer serve the needs of residents, the county stated in a press release. The building also has safety concerns and structural risks. Soil tests revealed the ground under the building, near the Willamette River, could liquefy during an earthquake, the county stated.

No plans exist for the current courthouse, according to the city of Oregon City, but redevelopment is one of the priorities in the Urban Renewal Plan for downtown.

The new courthouse’s location on the 68-acre Red Soils Campus in Oregon City will provide easy access to county resources such as social services, public health, veterans services, and others. The courthouse will stand at 1000 Courthouse Road.

Clackamas Progress Partners, previously named Fengate PCL Progress Partners, was selected to design, build, and maintain the replacement courthouse over a 30-year period. The consortium of companies is comprised of developer Fengate Asset Management, PCL Investments, design-build contractor PCL Construction Services, service provider Honeywell and designer DLR Group.

The partnership was a result of the county’s analyses of alternatives that led to the most cost-effective, lowest risk option. Clackamas County and Clackamas Progress Partners entered a contract for public-private partnership for construction. This project will mark the first time in Oregon state history that a courthouse is delivered through a public-private partnership, the county said.

The 215,000-square-foot courthouse will hold 14 courtrooms, 20 judicial chambers, offices for the district attorney, secure loading and staging areas, improved prisoner transfer facilities, jury assembly and grand jury spaces, safe corridors for courthouse users and secure holding cells for violent offenders.

The design takes a forward-thinking approach to operations, security, technology and sustainability, according to Clackamas Progressive Partners. The interior design vision emerged from consideration of wayfinding, operational clarity, user wellness and trauma-informed design. There will be an abundance of daylight with uninterrupted views of the outdoors.

Brick will be the primary exterior material for all elevations of the building.

The project team is participating in the Oregon Green Energy Technology in Public Buildings program. Systems able to produce at least 25 percent of the building’s energy will be on-site, the city stated. Mass timber will also be used in the building.

The total project cost is currently estimated at $313 million. Construction is scheduled for completion in May 2025.