Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Guest Opinion: Pacific Power joins American Business Act on Climate Pledge ... From the Council: Medford has much to do to prepare for The Really Big One ... Central Oregon fire prompts resort, neighborhood to evacuate ... Guest Opinion: Pacific Power joins American Business Act on Climate Pledge ... From the Council: Medford has much to do to prepare for The Really Big One ... Central Oregon fire prompts resort, neighborhood to evacuate ... MEDFORD New $6 million DA office proposed in Medford More secure building needed after 2013 bombing, officials say Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News A proposed $6.2 million Jackson County District Attorney’s Office would be almost double the size of the existing building and make it more secure against threats such as a bombing two years ago. The county has filed an application with the city of Medford to build a 20,000-square-foot, two-story building at 715 W. 10th St. The brick structure would replace three existing buildings used by the DA's office that total 11,730 square feet. Ken Ogden, a partner with Ogden Roemer Wilkerson Architecture of Medford, said the building is being designed according to the latest earthquake standards and will have safety features that will make it more secure for the public and for employees. “We’re putting security on the forefront for this building,” he said. He said the building would be more resistant to the type of bombing the existing building sustained in the early-morning hours of Nov. 13, 2013. Alan Leroy McVay set off an explosive device in what he later said was an attempt to destroy records regarding his burglary and theft charges. U.S. District Judge Owen M. Panner ordered McVay, 47, to pay $14,825 restitution to Jackson County for the damage to the DA’s office and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. McVay admitted to making an improvised pipe bomb by filling a carbon dioxide cylinder with gunpowder and taping it to the side of a 7-gallon propane tank. At about 4:30 a.m. Nov. 13, he lit a fuse and hurled the device at a front window of the DA's office. The tank broke the window but got hung up in Venetian blinds. McVay fled on foot and made it about a block before the cylinder exploded, blowing out more of the building's windows. The explosion ejected the device from the building, but did not detonate the fire-spewing propane tank. While no one was injured, explosives experts said most of the building could have been leveled had the bomb exploded fully. Ogden said the new building will have bollards installed to prevent vehicles from getting too close. Also, video surveillance and other security systems will be installed. The DA’s office didn’t have video surveillance at the time of the bombing. The new building will be oriented in a parking lot next to the existing three buildings. Once the new building is completed, the other three buildings will be razed to create a parking lot. Deputy County Administrator Harvey Bragg said the county will use money from its rainy-day fund to pay for the construction. Despite the draw down, the county will end up with more money in its rainy-day account, thanks to about $5 million that won’t be spent on libraries and a long-term lease with the county’s Health and Human Services Department for a new parking structure across from City Hall. The county also expects to receive federal dollars that help counties with large tracts of forestland. This fiscal year, the rainy-day fund stands at $24.3 million, but the anticipated rainy-day fund for next year will be $29.2 million, Bragg said. Construction could start sometime this summer if the Board of Commissioners approves the plans. The new parking lot will be built closer to the county’s juvenile detention facility, also on 10th Street. Bragg said the parking lot will be designed for use by both the DA's office and the juvenile facility. While security is being built into the design, the new facility will provide enough space for the needs of the DA's office, Bragg said. “There is not enough room for what they have to do,” he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at @reporterdm .   By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501