Investing in Corvallis Facility Needs

The City’s portfolio of municipal buildings is a significant public asset that the community over time has paid for, through taxes and fees, to construct, remodel, and maintain.  Years of under-investment in City facilities resulted in facilities that are increasingly undersized, outmoded, and approaching the end of their service life.

While the City has been responsive to the maintenance of the building structures and interiors, no meaningful planning has been done in the last 50 years to prepare these sites for the increase in operations and City staffing necessary to respond to the service demands of a growing community, nor the additional vehicles, equipment, and materials required to provide those services.

Years of under-investment resulted in facilities that are increasingly undersized, outmoded, and approaching the end of their service life.

Recognizing this neglect and the harmful consequences it was producing, the City embarked on a facility investment plan in 2021. There are three major stages within this work effort.

1. Assess facilities for current and future space needs — identify deficiencies and conceptualize solutions.
2. Seek funding for the solutions — find appropriate sources, create strategies, and secure funds.
3. Complete building projects — refine conceptual solutions, finish detailed designs, and construct facilities.

A Common-Sense Strategy

These stages are complex and multi-faceted. Some major civic facility investments can take years to accomplish, and have scoping, planning, funding, community engagement and design processes to complete before construction can begin.

The culmination of the assessment stage was the Citywide Facilities Strategy adopted by the City Council in January 2022. This sets the framework for the City organization to plan for needed investments, focus resources and take advantage of opportunities that arise. In adopting the strategy document, the City Council has made a bold commitment to no longer neglect these vital municipal facility needs.

Next Steps

In June 2022, the Council adopted a priority phasing plan to begin laying out a timeline for future facilities projects. The plan includes the following:

In Progress

• Remodel Fire Station 3 - Fully funded through ARPA
• Remodel Fire Station 2 - Fully funded through ARPA

Moving Forward

• Relocate & rebuild Parks & Recreation Maintenance Facility
• Create a new Civic Campus and a new Administrative Building to house City operations downtown
• Remodel Fire Station 1

Pending Further Information - These projects are dependent on other actions that will impact their scope and design

• Remodel and expand Law Enforcement Building
• Relocate Fire Station 4
• Rebuild and remodel Public Works campus

Opportunity-Based Projects - These projects don't have a funding strategy yet, but they can move forward whenever funding is identified

• Expand and remodel Main Library
• Upgrade Majestic Theatre
• Expand Osborn Aquatics Center