Neighbors concerned their beloved home could become a ghost town.

Thanks for joining us, i'm renee mccullough.

Matt has the night off.

It's a familiar story for timber communities across the state... and as kezi 9 news reporter chris lueneburg shows us, residents say these closures are just the latest in decades of decline.

Concerns about oakridge "it is very hard to live here.

It's hard for the kids to live here.

There's nothing to do" are nothing new.

"fewer places to go to, to visit."

The thriving days of this timber community live in photographs.

Yesterday-- hundreds of jobs lost... today, a new batch of closures.

"not long ago this a&w would be a place for teens to eat and work- now theres a sign that says "closed until further notice" on the doors."

For those who live here-- the pain still fresh.

"we just need to focus in on the community and focus in on what it was when i was a kid here.

It's nothing like it was."

According to mayor kathy holston, highway 58's once-bustling infrastructure was built for the oakridge of the past.

"that's the infrastructure that was left behind.

It's a challenge to fill that.

I don't think we will ever be that big again, nor do we want to be that big again."

Looking ahead-- are tourism may be the city's future.

"in any community, you look to see what your positives are and you work to move towards your positives.

Tourism is a positive thing in our community, but it's not the only thing in our community and we are happy to embrace it all."

Holston says the city is also working on it's industrial park-- though bringing in outiside business will take more time.

The oakridge westfir chamber of commerce says balancing tourism and traditional industry is a group effort.

"we have to dig deeper and say 'can you help by patronizing the businesses that are still open?

What are the open niches where people could come in and build a business you would support?'" but some residents are left wondering if they have a place in the new vision of oakridge.

Reporting in oakridge, i'm chris