On May 1, the General Services Administration listed Medford’s James A. Redden U.S. Courthouse for “accelerated disposition,” meaning the property is not considered core to government operations and will be sold relatively quickly.
In March, the U.S. General Services Administration listed the building for sale as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s cost-cutting efforts, before later reversing the decision. The move raised concerns that Southern Oregon could lose its only federal courthouse.
But according to Chief U.S. District Judge Michael McShane, the sale won’t leave lawyers on the streets.
“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” McShane said. “The plan has always been to sell it. We do have approval to build a new courthouse in Medford, and that process is underway.”
He said the change in venue shouldn’t impact the work of staff.
“I do not foresee that we’ll be moving anybody out of the courthouse until the new courthouse is built,” McShane said.
Easterly Government Properties Inc. will be building Medford’s new 40,000-square-foot federal courthouse. That company will then lease the space to the government for the next 20 years.
The company described the planned two-story property as “state-of-the-art” in a press release and noted it will be designed to meet the environmentally friendly LEED Silver for New Construction standard.
An artist's rendering of a planned new federal courthouse in Medford, Ore., provided by Easterly Government Properties Inc. The federal government plans to sell the James A. Redden courthouse, which is more than 100 years old.
Courtesy of Easterly Government Properties Inc.
Darrell Crate, chief executive officer and founder of Easterly, said his company specializes in building secure offices “from the ground up” for the government.
“We’re used to building facilities that have private rooms … that are impenetrable by listening devices,” Crate said.
Besides federal courtrooms, the building will house offices for both of Oregon’s U.S. senators, the U.S. Marshals Service, a probation office and a U.S. attorney’s office.
Crate said the building is currently in the planning and permitting phase but is expected to be completed in 2027.
“We’re really excited to be a landlord in the Medford, Oregon, area,” Crate said.
The Medford courthouse is over 100 years old and was once also used by the U.S. Postal Service.
Justin Higginbottom is a reporter with Jefferson Public Radio. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
