The Paiute Tribe’s downtown building will be remodeled inside and out

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

Things are looking up in downtown Burns. Another prominent building is receiving a facelift.

The Burns Paiute Tribe’s building in the 500 block of Broadway will be renovated in three phases. According to the tribe’s interim general manager and transportation manager Kenton Dick, Creating Ways, a construction company owned by Lyle Stratton, will be doing the work on the exterior of the building. The work will include replacing windows, brick work and replacing the  awning in the front of the building.

The tribe received money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for phase one of the project. Phases two and three will concentrate on the interior of the building and will be paid for with grants and donations. Dick said that it was important to the tribe to use local contractors as much as possible.

Within the last year, the Smith building, which is in the 400 block of Broadway, received a complete renovation and now houses the Harney County Community Center and rents space to the chamber of commerce.

When the work on the tribe’s building is completed it will be used as an interpretive center, a place to sell arts and crafts made by tribal members and it will house offices and a small conference room. “The intent is to open it up for use by the community,” Dick said.

For more information on this project, call the Burns Paiute Tribe’s administration office at 573-2088.