Advisory committee presents two-path recommendation for Benton County Historic Courthouse

The Historic Courthouse Advisory Committee presented its final report to the Board of Commissioners on May 21, recommending two principal directions for repurposing the Benton County Historic Courthouse: (1) retain government and civic uses that preserve the building's "job" and function, or (2) adapt the structure for arts, education and culture — or adopt a blended approach that combines elements of both.

Chair Chris Westfall read a conveyance letter into the record describing a multi-year, community-based process that included outreach and a partnership with Oregon State University design students. The committee emphasized preservation in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's standards and recommended pursuing seismic stabilization as a priority to preserve the building for future use.

Westfall noted the committee developed conceptual design work (OSU College of Business and Interior Design student plans) that will be provided as an appendix to the report and recommended pursuing grant sources such as National Park Service and State Parks grants for further scoping and outreach. Commissioners praised the committee's work, discussed potential public-private partnerships to underwrite renovation and operating costs, and accepted the final report.

Next steps: staff signaled intent to pursue grant funding, host public outreach events (including a May 30 historic-preservation celebration) and coordinate with the Courthouse Preservation Committee on future visioning and implementation tasks.