Council to consider options for Christian Science building
By Dan Thesman on Monday, February 19th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – The Pendleton City Council will consider options for the old Christian Science Reading Room, 13 SW Byers Ave. The Bisnett family donated the building to the city in December, and its future is on the agenda for the meeting at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday).
The two primary options the council plans to consider for the building, which was built as a church in 1926, include issuing a request for proposals from developers. A committee would then grade the proposals based on 17 criteria and select a short list of finalists who would 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.
The other option is moving forward with designs and plans for the Byers Riverfront Plaza and Bisnett Center Building which would include uses of the river corridor. 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.
Additional alternatives include selling the building to the highest bidder, operating the building as a city rental, donating the building to non-profit.
