Press Release
September 5, 2025
For Immediate Release

A-FRAME ENGINEERING REPORT

Wood Rodgers, Inc. has delivered its final engineering report to the City of Bishop on the building at 690 North Main Street, currently serving as the Bishop Visitors Center.

The City has been in discussions with the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center for more than two years about the building’s structural problems. In June 2025, the City formally notified the Chamber that, due to safety concerns, the time had come to vacate. Soon after, a building inspector “red-tagged” the southern addition. On August 11, 2025, the City Council authorized a full engineering assessment.

On August 19, 2025, Wood Rodgers Senior Engineer Eric Toschi, P.E., inspected the A-frame and its two additions. The four-hour evaluation reviewed original building drawings, structural connections, and foundations. The overall condition of the building was rated poor.

The report outlines three possible scenarios to move forward:

1. Remove the southern and small eastern additions, retaining the A-frame.
2. Partially remove the southern addition and retain the A-frame.
3. Fully demolish and replace the building at the current site or a new site.

While all three are technically feasible, none are simple. Retrofitting would require extensive demolition, correcting unknown conditions, and costly upgrades to meet current building codes. Even under Options 1 or 2, up to 85% of the structure may still need removal. As Toschi noted, “Retrofitting an existing building, especially one that is over fifty years old, is inherently difficult and often
unpredictable.”

The public can access the 24-page report on the City of Bishop website. Supporting appendices are available through the City Clerk.