Multnomah County celebrates milestone
From Public Affairs: On December 7, 2007, Multnomah County took a major step forward in its effort to create an East County Justice Center with the purchase of property to build the facility. Multnomah County purchased a 3.66 acre site, including four existing structures on five tax lots, located at 18430-18510 SE Stark St. in Rockwood. The property now houses a Taco Bell and a laundromat, as well as a vacant bowling alley and a KFC restaurant.
In the transaction, Multnomah County was represented by asset management lead Mike Sublett and seller Carter Gilleland was represented by Pat Schreck and Tim Parker of Melvin Mark Brokerage Co.
“This is a big step forward for East County,” said Commissioner Lonnie Roberts. “Our community has been asking us to move forward with this and, by working together with residents, property owners, and real estate professionals, we’ve got a site for a facility that’s sorely needed.”
The facility will include public safety services such as courts, District Attorneys, Sheriff’s Office and Gresham Police and will fulfill an Oregon constitutional mandate for court operations within the City of Gresham.
“Putting all these services under one roof will improve the efficiency of our public safety system and will make it easier for the community to connect with the people who protect them,” said Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler. “Public safety is a core responsibility of both counties and cities and we make the best use of taxpayer dollars when we work together.”
Members of the Board of County Commissioners met with community members earlier this year and in a series of previous meetings to hear their concerns and preferences for the East County Justice Center. The public will be invited to contribute ideas to the final design and other building details.
The county will plan for environmentally-friendly deconstruction of the existing structures with emphasis on recycling and diversion of material from landfills, remediate a portion of the site and lay the ground work for planning and construction of the new facility. In addition, county representatives are negotiating with adjacent property owners to complete the assembly of the roughly four-acre site. Construction is expected to begin sometime in 2008.
Posted on December 11, 2007
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