Baker City Receives Grant for Elevator in Historic Building

The Oregon Main Street Revitalization program has awarded two grants to Baker County, including one to Baker City Downtown for US$400,000 grant to support installing an elevator in the Baker Loan and Trust Building, the Baker City Herald reports. The building is owned by Tribe Fans LLC — Bob Moon and Kyra Rohner. According to a press release, the grant will be used to install an elevator that will service all three floors of the Baker Loan and Trust Building and allow for future development of the upper floors in the connected adjoining Bohn Building (Hatch and TEC Copier Systems) and Osborn Building (BELLA Main Street Market). Addressing upper floor spaces is a priority for the National Main Street Center, especially creating Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible upper floor living spaces that are within historic downtown commercial districts. The Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant is funded by lottery bond dollars authorized by the Oregon State Legislature. The program was created in 2017 and is offered every other year. In past years, the maximum grant award was US$200,000, but in 2025 the amount was doubled to US$400,000. The Baker Loan & Trust Building was built in 1911 to replace a previous bank building that burned to the ground.