Banks residents fight to preserve 105-year-old building that could be demolished
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Residents of a small Oregon town are urgently fighting to preserve a historic property that is slated to be torn down.
The Banks Historical Society launched its campaign to save the former Banks Union High School on Tuesday. The 105-year-old building could soon be demolished, more than a year after voters approved a bond measure that allocated $49.3 million toward renovating some parts of the campus and replacing others to construct a new, two-story facility for classrooms.
Nina Shurts, leader of the organization’s Historic High School Committee, told KOIN 6 that many community members weren’t aware they were voting for the destruction of the property.
“We were told it was inferred in the language, but… in the bond language, it mentioned seismic upgrades, which we thought meant that it would be seismically upgrading the old historic building,” Shurts said.
The committee leader added that officials estimate that the cost of renovating the pre-existing site would exceed the cost of starting anew.
According to Banks Historical Society, the building opened as Washington County’s first Union High School in 1920 — the same year that Banks became an incorporated city. It was replaced with a new building several decades later and has since been used as a junior high school and, most recently, an office space for the school district.
But it has been vacant since October 2024.
The Save the Historic Banks Union High School campaign is focused on finding private investors who could collaborate with public entities to preserve the facility, which is the city’s last remaining original historic brick structure.
“There are just so many good reasons to restore a historic building in a community... It tells of its roots, its triumphs, its struggles. It preserves and gives people a sense of belonging,” Shurts said.
She added that the building could be utilized for after-school programs, art shows, senior center activities or other community events if it is preserved.
KOIN 6 has reached out to the City of Banks and Banks School District for comment. Here's the school district's full statement.
"The District has thoroughly evaluated all reasonable alternatives to demolition — including renovation, partial deconstruction, adaptive reuse, and long-term maintenance of the unused building (sometimes referred to as “mothballing”) — in line with its legal obligations and Board policy on capital projects.
With input from licensed architects, structural engineers, cost estimators, and construction managers, and after extensive community outreach, the District has concluded that demolition is the most practical and financially responsible path forward.
On January 28, 2025, the Board of Directors formally adopted a 20-year facilities plan that includes the building’s removal. Work to carry out that plan is now well underway, supported by funds from the bond measure approved by voters in May 2024.
The District will proceed with abatement and demolition in full compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including Oregon’s State Historic Preservation Office guidelines and permitting processes required by the City of Banks and Washington County.
To honor the community’s history while planning for the future, the District has also established the Traditions and Innovations Committee—a group of students, staff, and community members tasked with identifying meaningful ways to preserve our history without placing undue financial strain on taxpayers."