Another Fire Hits The Loring as Medford Moves Toward Eminent Domain
The former Biddle Road hotel is unsafe and uninhabitable after years of water damage, fires, unauthorized occupancy, and repeated police calls.
AT A GLANCE
Property: The Loring, 2250-2260 Biddle Road
Latest fire: Second-alarm fire Oct. 11; one person hospitalized for smoke inhalation
Status: City considers the building unsafe and uninhabitable
Police calls: 58 from Jan. 8 through Sept. 23
City action: 24-hour security planned and eminent domain proceedings authorized
History: Opened as a Holiday Inn in 1968; later Reston, Ramada, and emergency housing for wildfire survivors
MEDFORD, Ore. — Another fire tore through The Loring on Biddle Road Sunday night, adding new damage to a sprawling former hotel that Medford officials already consider unsafe and uninhabitable and are now taking steps to potentially acquire through eminent domain.
Medford firefighters were called to the property at 2250 Biddle Road around 9 p.m. Oct. 11 and arrived to find an active fire in the southwest portion of the building.
Flames were extending toward the second floor and roofline, and because of the fire conditions and the possibility that people were still inside the building, crews upgraded the response to a second alarm.
Firefighters contained the blaze to two rooms.
One person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and was reported in stable condition at the time of transport. Medford Fire, Jackson County Fire District 3, Medford Police, and Mercy Flights responded.
The cause remains under investigation.
The fire occurred only days after the Medford City Council authorized the city to begin pursuing eminent domain proceedings involving The Loring, a property that has become the focus of persistent safety, crime, and code-enforcement concerns.
A Property the City Says Has Become Unsafe
The city says The Loring has been uninhabitable since water leaks in 2023 and 2024 caused extensive damage.
Since then, unauthorized occupants have continued entering the property, while piping and electrical wiring have reportedly been stripped from portions of the building. City officials have also cited widespread mold, deteriorating structures, unsanitary conditions, and multiple fires in late 2025 and early 2026.
The building was formally posted as unsafe to enter in December 2025.
City officials have described dozens of unauthorized occupants inside the property at various points, creating an additional challenge as Medford attempts to secure the building.
Police activity has also increased.
Medford Police responded to 58 calls for service at The Loring between Jan. 8 and Sept. 23, according to city records. Fifteen occurred through May 8, when around-the-clock private security ended. Another 43 calls were recorded after that security was discontinued.
Those calls included reports of trespassing, suspicious activity, burglary, property damage, domestic disturbances, and other incidents.
On Aug. 31, officers responding to the property found a 35-year-old man dead. Police reported no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, with the official cause left to the medical examiner.
The Loring: The former Ramada Inn at 2250 Biddle Road before years of water damage, fires, and unauthorized occupancy left the building uninhabitable. City of Medford.
City Moving to Secure the Building
Even before Sunday’s fire, Medford was preparing another effort to clear and secure the property.
The City Council approved contracting with private security to provide 24-hour coverage for an initial 90-day period.
The work is expected to include boarding windows, securing doors and other access points, clearing unauthorized occupants from the building, and establishing a designated exit. Once individuals leave, they will not be allowed to reenter.
Following Sunday’s fire, the city said arrangements with the security contractor were still being finalized.
Interim City Manager John Vial said the latest incident reinforces the city’s concerns about conditions at the site.
“The fire underscores the serious and ongoing safety concerns at this property,” Vial said. “Our immediate focus is securing the building and preventing unauthorized access. At the same time, we will continue pursuing available enforcement measures and evaluating our options to address the property and eliminate the ongoing public safety threat.”
From Holiday Inn to The Loring
The Biddle Road property has been a recognizable part of north Medford for nearly six decades.
The hotel originally opened in 1968 as a Holiday Inn.
It was sold in 1984 and became a Nendels before returning to the Holiday Inn brand in 1992. In 1996, it became the Reston Hotel and Convention Center.
By 2006, the aging 165-room hotel and convention center had changed hands again and was rebranded as the Ramada Inn and Convention Center.
The property remained a Ramada for years before Fortify Holdings purchased it in 2021 and converted it into emergency housing for survivors of the devastating Southern Oregon wildfires.
What began as housing for displaced families eventually deteriorated after the water leaks left the property uninhabitable.
The site is now commonly known as The Loring.
Eminent Domain Considered a Last Resort
On Oct. 7, the Medford City Council approved an ordinance allowing the city to pursue eminent domain proceedings for the property.
That vote does not mean Medford currently owns The Loring.
Eminent domain involves a legal process, and the city would still need to take additional steps before acquiring title. If the process moves forward, the property's value would be established through negotiations with the owner or through court proceedings.
City officials have characterized eminent domain as a last-resort option after previous efforts failed to resolve conditions at the property.
Those efforts have included meetings with the owner, tens of thousands of dollars in fines, warnings of potential legal action, and previous attempts to clear and secure the building.
The city says its ultimate goal is not to retain the property permanently. If Medford eventually acquires The Loring, officials intend to transfer it to another owner capable of redeveloping or otherwise addressing the site.
For now, the immediate focus remains securing the sprawling property and preventing additional unauthorized access.
Sunday night's fire added another visible reminder of the challenge.
The building remains unsafe and uninhabitable, fire investigators are working to determine what sparked the latest blaze, and Medford is continuing down a legal path that could eventually place one of north Medford's most troubled properties under new ownership.
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