BEND, OR -- Bend-La Pine Schools officials have announced the Bend Senior High auditorium will be torn down as soon as possible. Last month, a subcontractor discovered damage while responding to a leak in the sprinkler system. A subsequent inspection determined the building is unsafe to occupy. Demolition may begin this week. 

Initially, it was thought the sprinkler system might have caused the west wall to bow outward. But the district's Scott Maben now says it could be the other way around, "The stresses on the structure may have actually been pulling on the fire suppression piping up in the ceiling area of the auditorium. And that's perhaps what led to those pipes coming loose and leaking."

Maben tells KBND News structural engineers found stress fractures in the roof trusses, "They've looked at four of the six trusses and they've seen these fractures. They've seen the west wall of the auditorium bowing out and essentially starting to fail." Officials believe the damage occurred in the past year. The building was fully inspected in April 2023 and no issues were found. 

"We recognize this is an abrupt turn of events and a cause of concern for our staff, students and families," Superintendent Steve Cook said in a statement Monday. "The Lava Bear auditorium has served as an essential and beloved venue for our community. As part of the ongoing modernization of Bend Senior High, we had planned to renovate this space for future generations to use and enjoy. Unfortunately, it's no longer safe to maintain the auditorium, and it needs to come down as soon as possible."

The auditorium was built in 1955. It was scheduled to be renovated in a future phase of the modernization and expansion project now underway at the campus. It is not near the area where crews are currently working on construction of the new classroom wing. Planning for a new auditorium will now begin and district leaders are working to develop a plan to relocate auditorium functions until the new building is complete.