Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse - History

History

In 1999, the General Services Administration (GSA) held a competition to design a new courthouse for Eugene. Architect Thom Mayne of the Morphosis firm won the design competition, though at the time the location for the new courthouse was hypothetical. The new building was replacing the old Eugene Federal Building on High Street and Sixth Avenue in downtown, which did not have room for expansion and did not meet newer security requirements. Design of the new building began in 2001 for the 4.5-acre (1.8 ha) site. The project was included in the Design in Excellence program, GSA's project that seeks to increase the quality of architecture in federal government projects. The design of the structure received an award from the GSA in 2002.

On April 7, 2004, federal officials held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site for what was estimated to be a $70 million project. The site on East Eighth Avenue and Ferry Street formerly housed an Agripac cannery and is situated along the Willamette River. Local developers and officials hoped the courthouse and a potential new hospital in that area of town would spur further development and revitalize the area. In July 2004, construction began with site preparation including digging out a hole for underground parking. At that time the project was expected to be completed in August 2006.

Plans called for a four-story structure covered with zinc panels on the exterior with a total of 267,000 square feet (24,800 m2), including a three story tall atrium. Plans for zinc on the exterior were later changed to stainless steel due to costs. Designed by Mayne and the DLR Group, the building was to be built using concrete and steel with a goal of earning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for sustainability, with large amounts of natural lighting designed to help secure that distinction. On the outside many security measures were incorporated into the design. The building was to include six courtrooms, administrative offices, and space for the offices of the U.S. Marshals Service. Despite security concerns as a federal building, the architect and judge Michael Robert Hogan sought to have an open feel to the structure. Hogan, the chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, was the primary government official tasked with working with the architect to design the courthouse.

J. E. Dunn Construction Group served as the general contractor on the project, with the DLR Group serving as the architect of record and as the electrical engineering firm. KPFF Consulting Engineers did the structural engineer work and GLUMAC International completed the plumbing and mechanical engineering.

On July 11, 2005, the 69-foot (21 m) tall building was topped out and the last steel beam put into place. Construction on the project ended in August 2006 with completion in November. During construction crews removed 73,000 square yards (61,000 m2) of material during excavation at the site, poured 15,000 square yards (13,000 m2) of concrete with 1,640 short tons (1,490,000 kg) of rebar, used 1,100 short tons (1,000,000 kg) of structural steel, and on the exterior 48,000 square feet (4,500 m2) of windows and 125 short tons (113,000 kg) of stainless steel were used. On December 1, 2006, the $78.8 million Wayne Lyman Morse U.S. Courthouse was dedicated and officially opened. The total cost to complete the project was $96 million. The Morse Courthouse was completed on budget and on time, but due to budget cuts, elements including a rooftop reflecting pool and etching of the Bill of Rights onto the exterior were removed from the project. When it opened it became the first new federal courthouse in the United States to earn a Gold LEED certification.