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The original Jefferson High School building, constructed in 1909, may not survive after all.

The team planning to modernize the 13.56-acre campus, at 5210 N. Kerby Ave. in Portland, on Monday received design advice from the Historic Landmarks Commission for a fourth time.

The project team includes Portland Public Schools,听LEVER Architecture, Bora Architecture & Interiors, PLACE, Colloqate Design of New Orleans, and Andersen Construction.

The most recent design advice request (DAR) hearing took place in November 2023.

鈥淭hese three DARs were all focused on the idea of a partial demolition,鈥� city planner Staci Monroe stated during Monday鈥檚 meeting.

What is being considered now is full demolition of the site, including the original, 115-year-old building. The project change came after Portland Public Schools passed a resolution to reassess plans so that students do not have to relocate from the site during construction, Portland Public Schools senior project manager Stephen Effros said.

After debate over the disruption to students that would be caused by construction, the project team was directed by Portland Public Schools to look further into three options: a full renovation of the 1909 building with a major addition, as previously presented to the commission; demolition of the 1909 building and construction of a new school building along Killingsworth Street; or demolition of the 1909 building and construction of a new school building along Alberta Street.

The design team is leaning toward construction of a new building along Killingsworth Street. Following all new construction, all existing buildings on-site would be demolished, LEVER Architecture principal Chandra Robinson said.

The team on Monday proposed three options for pursuit of demolition of the existing buildings: a boundary adjustment to the Piedmont Conservation District through a historic resource designation removal review, a change in the status of the site from contributing to noncontributing resource in the Piedmont Conservation District through a historic resource designation removal review, or a demolition review.

Jefferson High School is in the Piedmont Conservation District, which was created in 1993 with identification of two eras of significance: 1883-1914 and 1914-1940. The Jefferson High School buildings date from 1909 to 1964. When the district was created, the 1909 building had already been altered significantly. The renovations in the 1950s and 1960s permanently removed architectural details and architectural forms that made the building a suitable addition to the district, according to the development team.

Portland Public Schools assessed its historic properties in 2009, Monroe said, and determined that Jefferson High School lacks its original architectural integrity and is not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. After study, the project team found that the 1909 building鈥檚 architecture details had been damaged in the 1950s and could not be restored.

If the 1909 building were in better shape, the commission would be having a different conversation about trying to retain it, commission Chair Andrew Smith said.

鈥淚t needs to be something really special going forward,鈥� he said of the project.

Of the three pathways to demolition, the commission expressed support for the team to pursue reclassification of the 1909 building from contributing to noncontributing resource through a historic resource designation removal review, which is a type II staff-level review. A 120-day demolition delay would follow.

The new building would be subject to a type II review. The project team indicated it plans to return before the commission for a DAR for that project at a future date.