The Snohomish County Council approved a plan to renovate the aging courthouse in Everett. The vote passed 3-2 Monday.
The project calls for an earthquake retrofit on the current courthouse — plus the addition of more courtrooms, better elevators, and more accessibility for people with disabilities.
The estimated price tag is $76.5 million, about half the cost of building a new courthouse. Snohomish County Executive Director Ken Klein says the county can afford the project and pay for it with existing funds.
Klein says the courthouse project is scheduled to be completed as early as January 2021.
County Executive Dave Somers released a statement, saying in part, "We have already saved $86 million with this more modest project and we will take steps to save even more, when possible, striving to keep it within budget. We plan to complete the project in approximately three years, and we look forward to having an improved public facility for our residents to use for decades to come."
