The 1930s Art Deco Clackamas County courthouse on Main Street is now living on borrowed time, as the county moves ahead with a private redevelopment deal that clears the way for demolition. Signs posted on the construction fence say teardown work is scheduled for this month, and county records show the property has been shifted into private control while the next steps are negotiated. The developer says it will salvage select architectural elements and expand the public plaza next door as part of the project.
What the developer plans
The developer, Level Development NW, is pitching a five-story, roughly 83,000-square-foot mixed-use building with about 84 market-rate apartments, mostly studios and one-bedrooms, plus roughly 2,600 square feet of ground-floor retail, according to the Level Development NW proposal. The plans call for about 75 off-street parking stalls, including 48 sub-grade spaces and a lower-level garage accessed from 8th Street. Developers say they are intentionally keeping in-building amenities limited so future residents will be more likely to frequent downtown merchants and take part in programmed activities on the plaza.
Sale and county approvals
Clackamas County commissioners have approved a Disposition and Development Agreement for the Main Street site, with board documents tying the agreement value to an appraisal “not to be less than $100,000,” according to Clackamas County. County staff noted that Level Development NW was the lone respondent to the Request for Expressions of Interest and argued that a private sale would reduce the county’s ongoing maintenance costs for a vacant building. Negotiations with the developer have continued since the county opened its replacement courthouse at the Red Soils campus.
Pieces of the courthouse to be saved
The project will not erase every trace of the old landmark. The proposal pledges to salvage the courthouse’s oak double doors, portions of bronze trim and the historical plaque, and to remove exterior reliefs featuring eagles and justice iconography so they can be incorporated into an enlarged Liberty Plaza, according to the Level Development NW proposal. Under the plan, the developer would dedicate the plaza parcel to the city so it remains a public gathering place. Proponents argue that this approach keeps civic memory alive while allowing a new structure that addresses safety and geotechnical challenges.
Downtown businesses and the fallout
Nearby merchants say they have already felt the courthouse’s absence. “Business dropped about 40%,” Jake Joy, owner of the Verdict Bar & Grill next to the building, told OregonLive after the courthouse closed in May 2025. Residents and business groups have been weighing in at public meetings for months; one early forum drew particular attention.
Geology, safety and the case for replacement
County and consultant materials point to erosion and seismic vulnerabilities along the Willamette River edge that complicate preserving the masonry courthouse, according to the county’s Main Street Courthouse RFEI and related reports from Clackamas County. Staff estimates for holding and maintaining the empty structure were cited by commissioners as another reason to pursue a private redevelopment option. The developer’s submission incorporates geotechnical and seismic study work that is intended to stabilize the riverbank as part of the new project.
Timeline and what to watch
Signage on the fence says demolition is slated to begin this month. County records also show that commissioners approved a DDA setting a sale floor at $100,000, according to Clackamas County. The developer’s schedule projects construction beginning in mid-2027, with the building opening in 2028 and targeting finishes in the third quarter of 2028, contingent on permitting, design review and any requirements from the State Historic Preservation Office. City officials and downtown business groups say they will be watching entitlements and parking conditions closely as the project moves into the design and permitting phases.
