SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. -- Frustrated at the lack of progress on a plan to upgrade the Snohomish County courthouse, presiding Judge Linda Krese said, “I’m extremely disappointed. I feel like we’ve had the rug pulled out from under us.”
In a news release late Friday, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers announced plans to renovate the existing building, as opposed to building a new one. The county has gone back and forth on the issue for years. Snohomish County spent millions buying up adjacent properties for a new courthouse before scrapping the idea last year over ballooning costs and parking issues with the city of Everett. The latest figures for a new courthouse were $162 million.
“We want to make sure we are good stewards of public funds and also ensure our courthouse is more functional and safer,” said Somers. “A renovation will achieve those goals and cost less than half of the previous estimates for a new building. Not one member of the public was breaking down our doors to build an expensive new structure for our law and justice system. Moving forward on a renovation will allow us to focus on other areas important to Snohomish County, in particular, the heroin epidemic, economic development, and the county’s financial challenges. We favor excellent public service and effective operations over a new building.”
The current courthouse needs extensive seismic, handicap and elevator upgrades. There are also public safety concerns because prisoners are forced to pass by members of the public while being transported to and from their court appearances.
“We see no sense in putting more money into a building that will continue to need additional work as the years go on,” said Krese.
