East County Courts

East County Courts Building. Click to enlarge

Grand Opening Event When: Tue Apr 10, 2012 10AM Where: 185th & SE Stark St Gresham, OR Get Map!

Completion of the new $19.6 million East County Courts project signals the beginning of Rockwood Town Center's redevelopment.

Join the Celebration
You are cordially invited to attend the grand opening celebration for the long-awaited East County Courthouse in the heart of Gresham's Rockwood neighborhood.

Join us Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 10:00am 'rain-or-shine' at the new East County Courts building, 185th & SE Stark St, as elected officals from Multnomah County and City of Gresham kick-off the event.

Light refreshments will follow the speaking portion of the program. Event includes self guided tours of the new facility.

After decades of delays and missteps the new courthouse receives the finishing touches as it prepares to open for business.

A long-awaited East County Courts project in the heart of Gresham's Rockwood neighborhood could be just what's needed to jumpstart the town center's redevelopment. Completion of the project represents a commitment to an area left behind long ago.

East County Courts Bldg, 185th & SE Stark St. Opening April 2012. Click to enlarge

The new $19.6 million 40,000-square-foot three-floor facility will have three courtrooms, with room for future expansion to six, an office for the district attorney, a sheriff's department security office, court business office, a data center in the basement and a drop-in child care facility for visitors.

The courthouse will serve people being adjudicated for misdemeanors, violations, small claims, landlord and tenant actions, ex parte hearings and document filing for all civil and domestic relations actions - many of which were previously filed at the overcrowded downtown Portland courthouse. The new courthouse is only for civil matters. It will not include a detention facility, nor will felony cases be heard.

Funding for the new courthouse includes $15 million from Recovery Zone Economic Development (stimulus) Bonds. The remaining portion will be funded from the 2008 sale of the South Edgefield property.

East County Courts, Rockwood Click for enlarge

Formal ground breaking to begin construction of $19.6 million courthouse Courthouse opens in spring 2012

When: Friday, Jan 7, 2011 11:00AM
Where: East County Courthouse site
SE 185th Avenue & Stark St
Gresham OR
Get Map!

Source: Multnomah County, East County Courts website

Public Affairs Office, News Release

Multnomah County is slated to break ground on a new courts facility in the Rockwood neighborhood of Gresham.

On Friday, Jan. 7 at 11 a.m., project stakeholders will make remarks and formally break ground to begin construction on the $19.6 million courthouse on a 4.2 acre lot at Southeast 185th Avenue and Stark Street in Gresham. The Courthouse opens in spring 2012.

Speakers will include Oregon State District 25 Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson, Multnomah County Presiding Judge Jean Maurer; Multnomah County Chair Jeff Cogen; Multnomah County Commissioners Diane McKeel and Judy Shiprack; and project manager Doug Obletz with Shiels Obletz Johnsen.

The expanded court facilities will serve people being adjudicated for misdemeanors, violations, small claims, landlord and tenant actions, ex parte hearings and document filing for all civil and domestic relations actions. Many of these functions historically have been filed at the downtown courthouse.

East County Courts, Rockwood Click for MultCo website

It's official. East County Courts will be built! New three-story facility will house courts and county data center

After more than 40-years the East County Courts will be built in Rockwood. Ground breaking on the new court facility will begin before year's end

Unanimous Approval

The Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously October 28, 2010 to approve final plans for construction and financing of a new East County Courthouse in the Rockwood neighborhood of Gresham. Approval to build the facility culminates years of effort to replace the current leased courthouse space in Gresham, which is leaky, cramped and inadequate.

“As a long-time East Multnomah County resident, I am very excited to see this courthouse finally become a reality,” said District 4 Commissioner Diane McKeel. “This project will create new jobs and provide a catalyst for economic growth and development in Rockwood and East County. I would like to acknowledge the partnership, perseverance and support shown throughout this process from my peers on the Board, the courts, law enforcement, East County cities, neighbors and the business community.”

NW View. Click to enlarge

After years of promises and delays Rockwood will finally get it's courthouse - once the funding is approved

Source: Willamette Week, OPB News (April 22, 2010)

After years of delays and missteps, Multnomah County commissioners unanimously approved the design for a new East County Courthouse in Rockwood.

The state ordered the county during the 1960's to have a courthouse in East Multnomah county. And there is a court -- but it's little more than one room in the old Gresham City Hall that's overcrowded and run down. But that's all going to change with the approval of a new courthouse in Rockwood's town center.

“I know this is a building. But it represents more than the stones, bricks and glass we see on paper,” said Commissioner Diane McKeel, who represents East County on the five-member board. “It represents commitment to an area left behind for too long.”

The plans call for a 40,000-square-foot building with three courtrooms (and space for more in the future) to handle misdemeanors and traffic cases.

Judging from Commissioner McKeel’s reaction the East County courthouse construction could start in December 2010

Source: The Gresham Outlook (Apr 20, 2010)

Judging from Commissioner Diane McKeel’s smile following Tuesday’s briefing on the East County courthouse project, the embattled building is likely to become a reality.

The five-member board of commissioners will decide on Thursday, April 22, whether to build the structure, more than 25 years in the works.

During its Tuesday meeting, county commissioners considered both two-courtroom and three-courtroom configurations for the building, which is proposed for county-owned land on SE 185th Ave and Stark St in Rockwood. Get Map!

Depending on the number of courtrooms, the project could cost between $17.4 million and $20.7 million. A few million dollars from selling surplus county land south of Edgefield in Troutdale is earmarked for the courthouse. The rest of the money most likely will be financed through bonds.

County commissioners seemed to like the idea of moving ahead with the project now to take advantage of the weak construction market and low interest rates.

If approved, construction could start in December, with the building finished in early 2012.