What the Old Central Oregonian Building on North Main Is Becoming

"We are excited about the long-term possibilities this property provides," Crook County Parks and Recreation District executive director Steve Waring said when the district announced it had bought the former newspaper property, as the Central Oregonian reported on Sept. 23.

The district moved its staff into 558 N. Main St. this fall. The space residents will actually book, attend, and use is planned for the rear of the main building, and that renovation has not started yet. The financing explains why the rear matters most.

A building made for a printing press

The Central Oregonian moved out in February 2025 to an office on Northeast Belknap Street. That came nearly 50 years after the North Main building went up for the newspaper and its printing press. By the time the parks district announced the purchase on Tuesday, Sept. 22, the building had sat empty for more than 18 months. The paper described it as a landmark.

The property comes to about 12,000 square feet. Along with the main building, the lot holds a warehouse and a barn, and both are scheduled to come down. A press building is laid out for work that needs a lot of open floor in back, and the district's plan targets that rear portion.

How the swap was paid for

The district already owned an administrative office at 296 S. Main St. It bought that property in 2012 and had fully paid off the loan. A board resolution says the district decided the South Main building was "no longer the most suitable location" for its current and expected administrative and recreational needs.

The resolution's figures show how the trade works:

The $420,000 is the expected sale proceeds before closing, title, escrow, and other transaction costs, and the district intends to put the proceeds toward the new property. The rest came from System Development Charge funds that are set aside for building conference and recreational space, according to the Central Oregonian.

Because part of the price came from funds designated for conference and recreational space, the building's value to residents rests on the rooms planned behind the offices.

The order of work on North Main

The district's sequence, as reported in September, runs like this:

1. Move administrative staff into the building. That move was set for Friday, Sept. 25, with the aim of keeping disruption to programs low.
2. Tear down the warehouse and the barn over the next several months.
3. Renovate the rear of the main building into more conference and recreation space for programs, community gatherings, meetings, and facility rentals.

Step one is finished. In an Oct. 8 column for the Central Oregonian, Waring wrote that the move into the new administrative offices is complete. He added that the building gives the district room to bring "recreation programs and community activities under one roof."

Steps two and three have no published end date. A September board resolution lists 558 N. Main as a capital improvement project, but it labels its cost figures as planning-level estimates and does not give a renovation budget. The district has said it will share details on community use of the space as the renovation work is finished. No room rates or booking process for the building have been posted. The most recent district fee schedule found during research took effect Jan. 1, 2024, and covers other district facilities. The district takes general questions about event applications at 541-447-1209.

As for the old office, no buyer or future use for 296 S. Main St. had been reported as of Oct. 12.

The accreditation that arrived the same month

The move came alongside another milestone. In the same Oct. 8 column, Waring announced that the district is now accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies. The program is run by the National Recreation and Park Association. He described the review as covering the agency's policies, procedures, practices, and operations. He also noted that accredited agencies have to keep meeting the standards to stay accredited.

Accreditation has no direct connection to the building. The timing does mean a newly accredited district has just taken on a new building and a renovation, all while outside reviewers are checking how it operates.

Where this season happens while the renovation waits

Until the renovation is finished, the district's fall and holiday calendar runs through the venues it has always used. The events left this season are all at the fairgrounds and the familiar pavilions, not North Main:

The Halloween Bash is new this year. The district lists live music by Matt Martin and the 45s, a dinner provided by Olive Garden, a cash bar, and a costume contest with prizes for first through third place. All proceeds go to the district's Happy Healthy Hearts Program.

Santa's Workshop is a returning event. The district lists 12+ free holiday crafts and activities for kids, along with train rides and selfies with Santa, and says more than 300 children come each year. Next door at Carey Foster Hall, the Craft Bazaar lists 20+ local artisans and vendors.

The district's Wednesday, Oct. 14 board meeting may offer an early look inside. Waring's column invites the community to the meeting at 558 N. Main to see the new home. The district's website says board meetings are held at its administrative offices on North Main. The Central Oregonian's Oct. 14–27 events calendar, published a day before the column, lists Juniper Art Guild as the meeting location. Confirm the venue with the district before you go.

The same evening, the Central Oregonian's calendar lists a free 6 p.m. lecture by Steve Lent on the Lost Meek Wagon Trail at Bowman Museum, 246 N. Main St.

Another new public space this fall

The district isn't behind the other public space that opened in Prineville this fall. St. Charles Prineville now has a 1-mile gravel nature path that loops around the hospital through sagebrush, quaking aspens, Siberian elms, and seasonal wildflowers. A donation from Mid Oregon Credit Union to the St. Charles Foundation paid for it, the Central Oregonian reported. The path is open to community members, caregivers, patients, and families. Todd Shields, St. Charles vice president of operations for Madras, Prineville, and Redmond, called it "a place for families, community members and caregivers alike to enjoy nature."

The path can be walked today. At North Main, the offices are in, the barn and warehouse are next to go, and the rooms meant for the public will open after the renovation.

Questions about older buildings in Prineville changing hands, whether it's a Main Street landmark or a property you've owned for decades, come down to knowing how these sales are structured and what the next owner plans to do with the space. Brent Krebs Realty tracks those changes across Crook County and is glad to talk through what they mean for your property. Schedule a Consultation.