Sumpter Awarded $173,000 Federal Grant to Renovate Community Center

The City of Sumpter will receive $173,000 in federal funding to renovate its 9,500-square-foot Community Center, city and federal officials announced, a project intended to strengthen the town’s primary gathering space against wildfire smoke and aging infrastructure. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden publicly announced the award on Feb. 16, 2026.

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley framed the award as part of a larger effort to secure local projects, saying, “Together with Senator Wyden and members of Oregon’s House delegation, we secured funding for another 68 important homegrown projects that will benefit Oregonians in every corner of the state for years to come,” in a press release cited by local coverage. LegiStorm’s appropriations summary added that “Community-initiated projects are rooted in the fact that no one knows the unique needs of communities across Oregon like the folks living and working in them. The communities identified top projects, and we fought for them,” and quoted Sen. Ron Wyden: “These key federal investments throughout our state are the result of Oregonians sharing local priorities directly with me and Senator Merkley,” as part of the FY2026 package.

Mayor Linda Wise welcomed the funding in local media. “The City of Sumpter is excited, and appreciative, of receiving funding for our Community Center,” she said. Mayor Wise also noted the limits small towns face: “…small cities such as Sumpter have limited financial resources to repair aging infrastructure. Their support of our financial assistance request to help repair our 20th century Community Center will renew the community pride in this Sumpter landmark and provide a safe gathering space for years to come.”

Baker City Herald reporting identifies the building as the historic Sumpter schoolhouse, also known as the community center, and documents its role in town life: the center hosts bingo, social gatherings and community events and served more than 100 diners at a free Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 22, 2023, where Mayor Wise helped slice pies. The Herald reports Sumpter’s population at about 210 and places the town about 28 miles west of Baker City. Local volunteers previously completed projects including replacing the floors and installing a backup generator.

Planned renovations listed by the Herald include replacing the ceiling; installing a new stove, freezer and other commercial-kitchen items; making the bathrooms more accessible; replacing the lights; installing air conditioning; and installing a new air filtration system that “will make the community center a refuge for people with respiratory problems when wildfire smoke clogs the Sumpter Valley.” Elkhorn Media Group and LegiStorm emphasize that the building is surrounded by forestland and that upgrades are needed to keep the community safe and healthy amid increased wildfire and smoke threats.

The Sumpter award is one of dozens in the FY2026 federal spending bill. Baker City Herald reported the package totals $92.3 million for 68 projects statewide. LegiStorm lists several Eastern Oregon grants in the same package, including $400,000 for Eastern Oregon University’s Early College Initiatives, $163,000 for the Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center to buy an Advanced Maternal and Neonatal Simulation System, $1,500,000 for Valley Family Health Care to build a modern facility in Nyssa, $1,450,000 to John Day School District #3 for early learning, and renovation and equipment for the World War II-era B-17 Hangar at Eastern Oregon Regional Airport for a UAS Accelerator.

City officials applied for multiple grants in recent years to address the aging structure, local reporting says, but the specific federal account or program that delivered the $173,000 and whether local matching funds or a construction timeline will be required were not included in the announcements. Coverage of the award has appeared in Elkhorn Media Group, Baker City Herald, Blue Mountain Eagle, East Oregonian, Hermiston Herald, La Grande Observer and Wallowa County Chieftain.