During a brief time around 2005, Washington High School was used as a temporary site for the relocation of some of the newly arrived survivors from Hurricane Katrina.

[1] Designed by the Portland architectural firm of Houghtaling & Dougan, the new building also featured terra cotta trim.

[2] Due to the baby boom and passing of a $25 million building levy by the school district in 1947, a new gymnasium was slated to be built.

During that time a portion of it was also used for a public performance space, hosting events that included Lily Tomlin's "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" as a "work in process".

[24] The remaining 2.6 acres (11,000 m2) comprises two parcels in the northeast and southeast corners of the site, one largely vacant, and the other housing the multi-story brick high school building.

[24] In 2009, Portland Parks & Recreation received funds as a result of the support of Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon H. Smith.

In April 2009, an advisory committee was appointed by Portland Commissioner Nick Fish to develop the scope and program for the facility.

Though it was opened and cleaned out, in part, due to the TBA Festival, in 2009 the site was still slated to be turned into a community center.

The district also plans to issue a "request for information" to see if any other developers are interested in buying the long-vacant high school.

Doug Capps, a PPS facilities manager, told an advisory committee on December 1, 2009, that an offer on the building could be submitted to the school board as soon as March or April 2010.

[26] In April 2011, local volunteers began the process of creating the Buckman Historic District which, if approved, would have included Washington High School.

[27] However, the proposal to create such a district was dropped in 2013 after failing to attract sufficient support from property owners in the affected area.