The City of Port Angeles announces today it has extended a formal written offer to acquire the former Lincoln Elementary School, located at 926 West 8th Street, with the intent to preserve the historic façade and redevelop the site into multifamily housing.
Built in 1916, the former school is one of the last remaining structures of historical significance outside of the downtown area. Its planned demolition would represent a permanent loss to our community’s historic landscape. At the same time, Port Angeles faces a significant housing shortage. For nearly eight years, the City has worked to develop policies and programs that support and incentivize new housing development. Redeveloping this site presents a unique opportunity to both preserve an important piece of local history while directly addressing critical housing needs.
With this objective in mind, an offer was submitted to the North Olympic History Center (NOHC) on June 4, 2025 and remains valid for approximately four weeks. It includes the acquisition of the entire property located at 926 West 8th Street for $599,000 in cash, along with the exchange of City-owned, commercially zoned property located at 935 West 10th Street, valued at $189,000. The total offer is valued at $788,000. Funding for the acquisition is available from the City’s Housing Rehabilitation Special Revenue Fund, which supports affordable housing projects in Port Angeles. Upon purchase, the City will seek public-private partnerships to ensure the successful development of affordable and multifamily housing on the site. Additional resources are available to leverage for future phases of this project.
This proposal follows several previous efforts by the City to collaborate with the North Olympic History Center. Earlier proposals by the City to evaluate and repurpose the site for housing were declined by NOHC. Instead, the NOHC offered to sell a portion of the property that excludes the historic school building, while moving forward with plans to demolish it. To date, the NOHC has not provided a meaningful opportunity for the City to acquire the full property for housing use.
In response, the City is presenting a new, comprehensive offer that not only relieves the North Olympic History Center of its responsibility for the current site, but also preserves the historic façade and provides an alternative space for the NOHC to continue its important operations.
“Demolishing the school would erase an important part of our community’s history,” says City Manager Nathan A. West. “This offer presents a mutually beneficial path forward that protects that history while serving the needs of local families. We are stepping up as the last hope for saving this building, and we hope the North Olympic History Center recognizes the importance of their own mission—to keep our history alive.”
The City of Port Angeles has long stood in opposition to policies that obstruct affordable housing development. At a time of significant housing need in our community, we remain committed to solutions that prioritize both new development and historic preservation.
The current offer is now pending a response. The City stands ready to work with the North Olympic History Center on a solution that benefits the housing needs of Port Angeles’ residents while ensuring their important work can continue at a new and improved location.
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