SOHS Approved for Event Center

According to the City of Medford’s July 10, 2025, website post, plans are moving forward to transform the historic Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS) building into a public-facing event center designed to benefit the community and beyond.

SOHS received a $50,000 Council Community Initiative Fund in 2024 and will be used for phase two of the project according to SOHS President, Doug McGeary.

According to the city’s website,

“The vision for the event center includes a 4,000-square-foot main hall, three rentable conference rooms, a catering kitchen, a gathering space “with character,” and a private speakeasy that can be added on for special events.

‘Our venue has a unique style, a unique niche, historic ambiance, museum context, and cultural depth,’ McGeary said, noting that the center has potential to boost cultural tourism in the region.

SOHS is currently working closely with contractors and architects, with an expected completion date of mid-2026. The building, located downtown at 106 N. Central Avenue, is known to many as the former JCPenney, which moved to the Rogue Valley Mall in 1986.”

SOREDI congratulates the City of Medford and SOHS for their forward thinking and initiative to bring this new venue to downtown for the area’s and community’s benefit.