Alex Baumhardt

(Oregon Capital Chronicle) Most new state-owned buildings will need to be earthquake-proof, and by 2060, all buildings owned or leased by the state for executive branch agencies will need to make earthquake-safety upgrades or be replaced under an executive order Gov. Tina Kotek signed Monday.

Kotek described the purpose of her order as making state buildings resilient to “The Big One” so they can be used as staging areas and workspaces for emergency response and recovery efforts. The “Big One” refers to an anticipated massive Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, which last hit the coasts of Oregon, Washington and California in 1700. The fault produces major earthquakes roughly every 300 to 500 years.

“When a devastating earthquake hits Oregon, we need to be able to sh

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