The Hegele family of American Sprinkler from Terrebonne has bought an old bank building in Pendleton from prominent Portland developer and philanthropist Jordan Schnitzer.

American Sprinkler protects structures from fire throughout the state, while also building and buying real estate.

The parties to the deal negotiated and settled quickly around Christmas, Rocky Hegele of Terrebonne said.

“Right after I sold, I missed it,” Schnitzer said. “I had second thoughts. But then I decided members of the community could do more good with the building than I could.”

“It’s a cool building,” Hegele said. “We haven’t decided exactly what we’ll do with the building yet. It doesn’t have a first floor bathroom, so that’s the first step. While deciding, we can rent it out for events.”

The second floor requires more extensive renovation, he said. Eventually it might house Airbnb rental units, with commercial space on the ground floor.

“Driving six hours a week, I have time to think about it,” Hegele said.

The local shortage of skilled labor limits the number of projects the Hegeles can take on.

Hegele and his 15 year-old son worked through Christmas to repair damage to the Redmond fire station from December’s cold snap.

“Even if I pay Portland wages, I still can’t get enough workers,” he said.

High interest rates also hurt business. Nevertheless, Hegele is optimistic about Pendleton’s future.

“I have to believe people want to get out of big cities,” he said. “We’ve now bought nine buildings here.”

Remodeling the property is liable to cost more than buying it, Hegele said.

After buying the building in 2016, Schnitzer approached local groups and organizations on collaborations to benefit the community.

When the Hegeles approached him, Schnitzer considered what was best for the community.

“I’m occupied with business and our many great employees, my other philanthropic activities and my son,” he said. “I felt that local community members could make the site work better than I had been able to do in two or three years of trying from a distance.”