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Commission approves $941,904 design-fee increase for courthouse project; schematic design advances
Summary
The board approved an amendment increasing DLR Group’s design contract to $3,049,227 (a $941,904 increase) tied to extended design time; staff also updated commissioners on schematic design, conditional-use approval and schedule for the new Morrow County courthouse at the fairground site in Heppner.
The Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to DLR Group’s contract that increases the design fee by $941,904 to a total of $3,049,227, a cost the county said is included in the project’s $35 million total budget. The increase reflects extended design time, additional engineering consultant work and site reviews during the schematic-design phase.
Design staff presented a schematic-design update for the proposed Morrow County courthouse at the fairground site in Heppner. The team said the project has received the City of Heppner’s conditional-use approval and variances needed to proceed, and showed a site plan and sections explaining a “daylit basement” concept with staff entry at the site high point (north) and public entry at the south. The design separates the plan into two masses — a courtroom mass and a support/offices mass — and retains a buffer and landscape screening along residential-facing edges.
The design team said they are preparing two cost estimates — one from the independent estimator and one from the contractor — with a reconciliation process to align estimates. The team is targeting April 16 for a presentation of the final schematic package to the board and said construction start would likely begin in about a year with an anticipated completion in the second quarter of 2027.
A commissioner moved to approve the DLR Group contract amendment, citing the action as captured in the previously discussed $35 million project budget. The motion was seconded and carried on an aye vote.
Why it matters: the amendment increases design fees but staff said the added costs are already incorporated into the project budget. Conditional-use and variance approvals clear initial land-use hurdles for the courthouse site in a residential area, and schedule milestones were provided for public engagement and funding actions.
Next steps: staff will reconcile cost estimates, update the schematic package as needed and return to the board on April 16 for possible authorization to move to the design-development phase.
