City Council to consider future of Christian Science Building
Historic building donated to city by Bisnett family
For decades, the historic Christian Science Church building on the corner of Main Street and Byers has sat mostly empty. Now, the Pendleton City Council will consider options for the historic building and a potential river corridor project.
The Christian Science building, 13 SW Byers Ave., was built as a church in 1926. The Spanish style of the building and its proximity to downtown and to the Umatilla River make it a unique opportunity in the City of Pendleton. The Christian Science Building and its property appraised for $385,000 in 2020, and, to encourage its development, the Bisnett family donated the building to the City of Pendleton in December 2023.
At the next Pendleton City Council meeting, Feb. 20, 2024, the council will consider the next steps for that building. The two primary options the council plans to consider are:
- Moving forward with a Request-for-Proposal (RFP) process for the building. Under this option, an RFQ process would open and developer(s) with a vision for the building would be able to submit proposals for various uses for the facility. A committee would then grade the proposals based on 17 criteria and select a short list of finalists who will be invited to present their project concepts to the City Council. This option could see the building occupied by the end of the calendar year.
- Moving forward with designs and planning for The Byers Riverfront Plaza and Bisnett Center Building. Under this option, the City would determine the feasibility of funding a plaza next to the Christian Science building that would host outdoor seasonal events and year-round river access. Moving forward would involve meetings with the public, with appropriate federal and state agencies overseeing the uses along the Umatilla River bank, gathering estimates of cost alternative concepts for the development, and meetings with potential funders to present concepts and determine likelihood of funding. This project would extend the project until at least 2025 but could provide enhanced uses to the river corridor.
Additional alternatives including selling the building to the highest bidder, operating the building as a city rental, donating the building to a non-profit or opening a period for those interested to submit alternative proposals.
City Manager Robb Corbett said the City Council is seeking additional information and discussion about the options.
“This building is a hallmark of our downtown. It’s one of the most unique buildings in our community,” he said. “The City Council is wrestling with how best to use this building to benefit the community. Do we want to put out an RFP and see what happens or do we want to leverage toward this bigger vision.”
The Pendleton City Council will discuss these options during the Feb. 20 meeting. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Pendleton City Hall and via Zoom. Meetings are open to the public The agenda and Zoom connection information for the Feb. 20 meeting is available at https://cityofpendletonor.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=7934
- Feb 16, 2024
