Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities Acquisition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Yamhill County moves to buy Oregon Mutual Insurance campus to consolidate county services
Summary
County staff asked commissioners to authorize purchase and financing of the two-building Oregon Mutual Insurance campus in McMinnville (about 85,000 sq ft) with a purchase price not to exceed $19,208,790 and full faith and credit obligations up to $15,000,000; commissioners supported the consolidation plan but acknowledged substantial implementation work ahead.
Yamhill County presented a proposal on Dec. 5 to acquire the two-building campus currently occupied by Oregon Mutual Insurance (OMI) at 400 NE Baker Street and 347 NE 4th Street in McMinnville.
County staff described a negotiated purchase and sale that would allow the county to consolidate administrative functions spread across roughly eight buildings into one campus totaling about 85,000 square feet. The resolution before the board would authorize issuance of full faith and credit obligations in an aggregate principal amount of up to $15,000,000 for acquisition and improvements and would allow a purchase price not to exceed $19,208,790.
Officials said the acquisition could house administrative, finance, human resources, IT, HHS administration, the assessor's office and the county clerk, improving public wayfinding and internal operations. Moving some services out of the courthouse could free space for an additional courtroom suitable for jury trials, county staff said.
Staff described potential leaseback arrangements with OMI for a portion of the building so the insurer could maintain a downtown presence while the county plans future build-outs and improvements. The county noted that consolidating into existing space may provide long-term cost savings compared with new construction and would reduce the county's footprint across downtown blocks.
Commissioners praised staff negotiations and said the decision to authorize purchase was the first of many steps. They emphasized that implementation will require detailed planning, capital upgrades to older building sections, addressing parking and moving logistics, and decisions about which current county properties to vacate and sell or repurpose.
The board voted to approve the motion to authorize the purchase and related financing documents; staff will return with specifics about financing, timelines and an implementation plan.
