The First National Bank building at 404 SW Sixth in downtown Redmond sits under construction as Bend-based Mission Building and Renovation LLC. converts it into two retail spaces and five apartments.

Drive past the intersection of Sixth and Deschutes streets in downtown Redmond and it’s hard not to notice the imposing columns and white brick of the former First National Bank — or the construction crews hard at work, renovating the 105-year-old building into new retail storefronts and a five-apartment complex.

The project, headed by Mission Building and Renovation, is bringing to life a downtown building steeped in Redmond history.

The renovated bank, built in 1919, will lease space to two retail businesses. Jessica Klein has already signed a contract on one of the storefronts, with plans to open a retail operation similar to her former Corvallis clothing and boutique called Mod Pod Decor. Her Redmond business will be called Desert Prairie Boutique.

The other space is still available, according to Francis Senger, owner of Mission Building and Renovation. The Bend-based general contractor often focuses on revitalizing historic buildings.

The five apartments behind the bank, meanwhile, will feature a one-bedroom unit with parking on the first floor. The second and third floors will host both a one- and two-bedroom unit.

The apartments, once completed, will have a brick façade that matches the bank, said Senger.

The building, located now at 404 SW Sixth, is an iconic image of Redmond. It was built just nine years after the city was incorporated and 15 years after Frank and Josephine Redmond first settled amid the surrounding juniper and sage. It was the second bank to be built in the fledgling town and was constructed by Ole. K. Olson. The pillars gave off an Egyptian air and the building housed U.S. National Bank from 1937 to 1973.

Its most recent renovation began in summer 2021 and is expected to be completed in November, said Senger.

“People really identify with it,” he said. “It brings a unity to how people view the town instead of being all spread out.”

If you’re talking about revitalizing a downtown space, Senger it makes sense to renovate one of its oldest buildings. There’s a community need to bring those buildings back to usefulness.

“It provides a real clear picture for people downtown,” he said.

It hasn’t been the easiest renovation. The bank needed structural upgrades and a new roof. Plus, there was the 14-inch thick vault, which had to be removed by hand.

“(It) took a couple guys like a week of hitting it with jackhammers,” Senger said.

Much of what will soon be apartments had to be demolished, which was difficult to do without damaging the historic bank, Senger said.

“Retaining the building in its basic form helps people identify with where they’re at and the history of the town,” he said.