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The Deschutes County Courthouse, in Bend, is poised to double in size.

The approximately 50,000-square-foot facility is due to gain around 50,000 square feet, said Lee Randall, Deschutes County鈥檚 facilities director. This will allow circuit court and administration offices to occupy one building.

LRS Architects designed the project for Deschutes County. The project team also includes civil engineer HWA, structural engineer Ashley & Vance Engineering, mechanical engineer PAE, and construction manager/general contractor Pence Contractors.

The primary entrance, lobby and roof of the existing building, on Northwest Bond Street, will be removed, said Eric Nielsen, capital improvement manager for Deschutes County facilities. The expansion will provide a new at-grade entrance and lobby that connect to the existing building.

鈥淭he ground floor along Bond Street is also far more heavily glazed than the building is now,鈥� Nielsen said of the design.

The exterior will feature fiber cement siding and storefront windows. Cross-laminated timber will be used for a portion of the lobby, roof, ceiling and exterior canopies.

The basement will include secure staff parking and a sally port for secure transfers of in-custody individuals. The first floor will have public service counters, a lobby, a reception area, and administration offices. The second floor will have a set of two courtrooms with jury deliberation rooms, judges鈥� chambers, and court support offices. The third floor will be shell space for a future set of two courtrooms.

With the expansion, the courthouse will be able to accommodate 10 judges. The county currently has nine.

鈥淲e鈥檒l have two additional courtrooms, which are now currently required and needed because the legislature had added two additional judges in 2021 to Deschutes County,鈥� Nielsen said.

In the meantime, the county has met its space needs with a hearing room, remote work, and even an additional courtroom set up at the fairgrounds for a while, Nielsen said.

The third-floor shell space would allow for the county to increase up to 13 judges in the long term, if needed.

The project is enrolled in the Energy Trust of Oregon New Buildings program, Nielsen said. PAE has developed a model that includes reduced energy usage. Currently, the design is intended to reduce overall energy usage by 24 percent from the Energy Trust of Oregon鈥檚 baseline and 32 percent compared to the same building observing the prescriptive requirements of the building code, Nielsen said.

The total project cost is estimated at $42 million, with $40.5 million for the expansion and $1.5 for the related remodel of the existing courthouse.

The design team is finishing permit documents and pursuing a building permit from the city, Randall said. Subject to permit review and completion of a planning application and early site development package, the team is targeting to break ground in December. Demolition and site work would come first.

Demolition will include removal of the existing entry, lobby and roof; removal of the original building鈥檚 basement level, which currently extends partially below grade; removal of the existing surface parking lot on the south side; removal of the existing stone building on the property鈥檚 southeast corner; and a remodel of a portion of the existing first floor to convert administration offices into a new hearing room, meeting spaces, and offices.

Construction of the expansion is targeted for spring 2024. The project is scheduled to finish in fall 2025.