On April 19, Multnomah County’s Board of Commissioners declared that the county’s Central Courthouse and McCoy Building are surplus, beginning a process to dispose of the properties. The two county-owned buildings in downtown Portland’s Central Business District are being replaced with new structures: a new courthouse at SW 1st Avenue and SW Madison Street and a new Gladys McCoy Health Department headquarters at NW 6th Avenue and NW Hoyt Street.
The board’s vote kicked off a 60-day period in which members of the public can comment on preferred future uses for the buildings. The open house is an opportunity for residents to learn about the two buildings, why they are being replaced, and provide comments on their future use.
Public comments will be provided to county commissioners along with any recommended offers to purchase the buildings. The last day of the public comment period is June 18, 2018.
Central Courthouse: Located at 1021 SW 4th Ave., the existing courthouse was built between 1909 - 1914. The neo-classical structure takes up a full city block. It has 39 courtrooms on eight floors. The building has a gross building area of 292,717 square feet. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Gladys McCoy Building: Located at 426 SW Stark Street, the 10-story building houses Multnomah County’s Health Department. The structure takes up a quarter city block. The building was constructed in 1923. It has a gross building area of 112,331 square feet.
County Resolution 2018-005, adopted in January 2018, describes the property disposition process.
Comments can be submitted online for either the Central Courthouse or the McCoy Building. More information on the disposition process for the properties, including frequently asked questions, is available at: /facilities-and-property-management/surplus-real-property-sales.
Comments can also be mailed to Henry Alaman, Director, Multnomah County Facilities and Property Management, 401 N. Dixon St., Portland, OR 97227.
If either building is sold before staff move to new buildings (in 2019 for the Health Department and in 2020 for the Courthouse), the county will negotiate leases with the new owners so that county operations can continue until staff relocate to the new buildings.
