Multnomah County Justice Center renovations include bulletproof windows, secure entries

Michaela Bourgeois
·2 min read
2

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – As renovation plans for the Multnomah County Justice Center move forward, the design proposal reveals several security upgrades including bulletproof windows and secure entries.

Portland City Planner Benjamin Nielsen told KOIN 6 News the renovation proposal did not include a reason for the upgrades as part of the design review application.

However, Nielsen pointed to a statement included in the early assistance application, which referred to damage to the building during the 2020 protests.

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“During the summer of 2020, the Justice Center incurred damage to large expanses of glazing from blunt impact during physical attack as well as from small and large airborne projectiles. In some cases, where glazing was damaged, fires were set to the building’s interior. Building ownership is investigating options to provide improved security for the property, but more importantly, for the safety of both the staff and occupants of the Justice Center,” the statement read.

With a $3 million budget, the renovation includes bulletproof windows, enhanced security at the 2nd Ave. Portland Police Bureau entrance, a secure vestibule at the 3rd Ave. entrance, a shared PPB and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office secure vestibule, and doors that can be locked down at the 3rd Ave., Main St., and Madison entries, a Multnomah County spokesperson told KOIN 6 News.

An analysis in the proposal noted, “The Justice Center building is perhaps best known as one of the focal points of George Floyd/Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020, and the building still has its ground level windows and the colonnade enclosed by painted plywood, rather than open to the public sidewalks as they were before 2020.”

PHOTOS: Multnomah County Justice Center renovation renderings

The renovation comes after Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell submitted a letter during the renovation proposal’s public comment period, stating these security upgrades are “extremely important” and said without these measures, people inside the detention center could be in danger if the building is breached.

“The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center (MCDC), which accounts for approximately half of the building site, sustained serious exterior security breaches and significant property damage in May 2020. This facility operates as the sole booking and release center for all incarcerated individuals in Multnomah County and houses close to 450 adults in custody. In addition, crucial services such as, court arraignments and public access to corrections pretrial services and information are located within,” the sheriff wrote.

“Due to the grave risks that a physical breach poses to all individuals inside the Detention Center, the security measures designed and included… are extremely important. These building enhancements will help ensure safety for those inside the Detention Center and that we never sustain such damages in the future,” she continued.

The renovation proposal was approved Feb. 1, 2024. Now, the design process is ongoing through August 2024 with construction slated for December 2024 through March 2025.

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