Deschutes County receives construction update on courthouse and warehouse expansion; contingencies expected to cover permit costs

Deschutes County project staff told the Board of Commissioners on Nov. 24 that construction on the county courthouse and adjacent warehouse expansion is advancing and remains within budgetary contingency. The team reported the main building mass is erected, the public lobby framing and cross‑laminated timber roof are installed, and interior renovation work (phase 1) is nearing turnover for Saving Grace and state courts.

Project presenters said phase‑1 renovation of the existing courthouse is expected to be completed in about four to six weeks, with an intended turnover of the Saving Grace space and related court offices around Dec. 5. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing work is in progress across multiple floors, drywall and finishes are underway, and building commissioning (third‑party testing of systems) has begun.

On finances, the presenters reported a project budget of $48,400,006 and cost‑to‑date billings of roughly $30.6 million, leaving about $17.8 million to be spent. They told the board the contractor and county owner contingencies remain available and said a set of permit‑related changes for Bond Street infrastructure is still being priced; those additional costs were not yet reflected in the October update but are expected to be covered by contingency, with more detail at the December or January update.

Staff emphasized phasing to limit disruption during winter, noted workarounds for sidewalks and equipment staging, and said exterior finishes and site work will ramp up as the building is dried in. The board did not take formal action on the project at the meeting; staff will return with an updated cost breakdown once permit pricing is finalized.

Sources: county project team presentation to the Board of Commissioners.