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After a delay of several months, construction of a new courthouse for Benton County is set to commence soon on land a bit north of downtown Corvallis.

The 48,892-square-foot building will also include district attorney鈥檚 offices. Work was previously scheduled to start in January or February, but the delay until around the start of fall was needed in part because the project team last summer had to reframe some of the design elements to meet state requirements for courthouses, said Rick Crager, assistant county administrator for Benton County. Some designed areas, such as the lobby and courtrooms, were expanded and the building functions of entering/exiting were adjusted. The project team 鈥� architect DLR Group, project manager Otak, and general contractor Hoffman Construction 鈥� spent a couple of months going over that process.

The project team also needed more time to secure funding 鈥� the state鈥檚 portion, in particular 鈥� because of design-related cost increases tied to furniture, furnishings and equipment, Crager said.

鈥淭he soonest they could actually get the funding was the February legislative session and they were successful in that,鈥� he said.

In June, Benton County and the state of Oregon agreed on a Master Funding Agreement that confirms funding sources for the project. The county has been fronting the project costs and incurring costs for some time, Crager said. The project team will prepare reimbursement requests for pre-design costs.

Currently, the county and the state are working through the OJD (Oregon Judicial Department) Phase Agreement for the project. That agreement covers design and construction costs and is still under review. State approval of the agreement is expected within the next 30 days, Crager said.

The project budget of $86.8 million covers land acquisition, site development, construction, furnishings and other associated costs. The state has pledged $38.1 million, which is 50 percent of the courthouse鈥檚 estimated cost. Benton County鈥檚 share is $48.7 million, which is 50 percent of the courthouse cost and the full expense of the district attorney鈥檚 offices.

Benton County in recent months reached a negotiated settlement to purchase the property from McFadden Ranch LLC. The property was acquired through eminent domain last fall, Crager said. The 29.53-acre property is one mile north of downtown Corvallis, on Carson Drive 鈥� near the intersection with U.S. Route 20.

In addition to the courthouse building, an emergency operations center will be built concurrently. That project, estimated to cost $8.8 million, is being tackled by the same team. Construction of both projects is scheduled to be completed by spring 2026. A correctional facility and a sheriff鈥檚 office are also planned for the new campus, but the county has not yet secured funding for those elements.

As for the existing courthouse, the county鈥檚 Historic Courthouse Advisory Committee in May submitted a report to the Benton County Board of Commissioners with reuse recommendations based on research and public input. In the report, the committee recommends the county further explore maintaining the courthouse as a government and civic use type, repurposing it as an arts, education and cultural use type, or blending those two types.

鈥淒epending on what direction we go will dictate what kind of renovations and changes need to be made,鈥� Crager said.

Construction of the existing courthouse was completed in 1889, according to the county. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

The building will require seismic upgrades, which could be costly, Crager said. The county has applied for a grant from the National Park Service for assistance in further investigating options. The county also plans to perform more comprehensive engagement to explore the reuse options as well as funding options. The county鈥檚 Historic Courthouse Preservation Committee will make sure the county maintains the building while preserving its history.