Benton County plans for future of Historic Courthouse
Benton County’s courthouse is the oldest county courthouse in Oregon still being used for its original purpose. In use since 1889, the building no longer meets court or county needs. Construction of a new courthouse and District Attorney’s office is planned for completion in 2026. The county’s Public Works Department is managing the construction project and is working with DLR Group on the design of the new building. Hoffman Construction is the general contractor. The historic courthouse is an iconic community landmark and Benton County leaders are committed to preserving the building and giving it a new purpose and use.
A Historic Courthouse Advisory Committee has been exploring ideas to make a recommendation to the Benton County Board of Commissioners later this year. The committee is seeking public input on concepts it is evaluating including government and civic use, arts, culture and education uses, or a mixed-use combination of the two. Uses explored by the committee but no longer under consideration include lodging, residential, commercial, retail, business and private offices.
“The historic courthouse has served us well for well over 100 years and we plan to make sure it has a purpose and use for generations to come,” said Tomi Douglas, Benton County Natural Areas, Parks, and Events director and HCAC staff liaison. “Community feedback in this early stage of the planning process is a vital part of creating a plan for the future of this community treasure.”
The public is invited to provide input to the committee through Feb. 15, 2024 in the following ways:
- Provide input at a committee meeting: The next meeting is January 19, 2024. Details can be found at https://bit.ly/BentonCoGov-BCHCAC.
- Complete the community comment form. Available online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/hcac_feedback and at County offices from January 4 through February 15, 2024.
More opportunities to participate will follow as the project progresses. Project costs and a final decision about courthouse reuse will be made in the future, following additional County planning and public input activities.
For more information about the Historic Courthouse Advisory Committee’s work, visit https://bit.ly/BentonCoGov-BCHCAC or contact Benton County Natural Areas and Park Director Tomi Douglas, 541-220-8369, tomi.douglas@bentoncountyor.gov.
Benton County is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate based on disability in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring and employment practices. This document is available in alternative formats and languages upon request. Please contact Cory Grogan at 541-745-4468 or pioinfo@bentoncountyor.gov.