Central Oregon News Digest
by The Garner Group
Posted 2/6/2008
THE GARNER GROUP BECOMES INDEPENDENT AGENCY
BEND, Ore.--The Garner Group Realtors and Development LLC took shape Jan. 1, 2008 as Bend's newest real estate agency. Previously a team within Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate, The Garner Group has reorganized as an independent company. Sandy Garner is President and Chief Executive Officer. Wendy Adkisson is Principal Broker and Chief Operating Officer.
The Garner Group is headquartered at 388 SW Bluff Dr. in Bend's Old Mill District. There are 16 employees and associates, including 12 licensed brokers and specialists in account and transaction management, office management and marketing.
A native of Central Oregon, Garner has been an award-winning Realtor in the region for 29 years and was a licensed Broker with Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate for 20 years. Adkisson was Principal Broker with Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate for 17 years, during which time the company grew from 24 to 42 agents and became No. 1 sales volume among all Coldwell Banker franchisees. She had been with the company since 1985. Read more.
NEW AGENTS JOIN THE GARNER GROUP
We are pleased to announce that Gayle Lewis and Jody Tuttle have joined The Garner Group as licensed Brokers. Both are certified as Graduates, Realtor Institute (GRI).
A frequent visitor since 1964, Lewis moved to Bend in 2006 and obtained her Oregon real estate license. She previously was licensed in Washington. Lewis is an outdoor recreation enthusiast and a board member of the Century Lakes Neighborhood Assn.
Tuttle is a native Oregonian who has lived in Bend since 1975. Before obtaining her real estate license in 2005, she had an 18-year career in software development, most recently as a project manager. Tuttle is a 25-year member of the Mt. Bachelor National Ski Patrol.
HOUSING
Median prices held up well in 2007
When all was said and done for 2007, median home prices in Bend slipped less than 2% from the year before to $345,000. Redmond’s median of $250,000 over the 12-month period was less than 5% behind the 2006 record. In Crook County, the median price inched upward 2% to $199,450. Figures are for homes on lots of less than one acre and come from the Central Oregon Multiple Listing Service. The number of homes sold in Bend during 2007 dropped 27% below 2006. Month-by-month statistics compiled by Bratton Appraisal Group show Bend median home prices peaked in May at $396,000 and varied between $320,000 and $350,000 during the balance of the year.
Low rates support ‘buyer’s market’
Uncertainty has been one of the major factors behind the housing slowdown, but stability is beginning to appear. Agents at The Garner Group report anecdotally that deep price cuts on listed properties have all but disappeared. “There’s a feeling out there that prices are as low as they can go,” observed broker Shelley Griffin. Add 30-year fixed mortgage rates at the lowest level in four years and recent Federal Reserve interest rate cuts and you have what the Bend Chamber of Commerce calls the best home buyer’s market in 20 years. “There’s definitely a tingle to the market that wasn’t there a year ago,” Griffin said.
Growth, demographics prove real estate is local
Alison Garner-Mata, another Garner Group broker, agrees, adding that Central Oregon home buyers should remember that real estate, like politics, is local. “Bad news reflected in national averages reported by the media doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the way it is here,” she said. Garner-Mata pointed to continued strong demographic trends supporting growth in Bend and surrounding areas, and to the undiminished conversion of vacation visitors to full- or part-time residents.
Local groups focus on market
Area chambers of commerce and housing industry groups are advertising and marketing Central Oregon as experiencing the best buyers’ market in 20 years. Here’s why:
This leads to our quote of the month
In answer to a reader’s question about the wisdom of delaying a home purchase: “If your aim by holding off is to try to get the best deal by buying just as prices have hit their low, I think that’s unrealistic. After all, even assuming you can figure out the ideal time to buy—that is, when prices have not only hit a trough but are on the verge of rebounding—by the time you find the house you want, line up the financing and close the deal, the ‘best’ time may have already passed.”--Walter Updegrave, senior editor, Money Magazine
Sandy Garner, President and CEO of The Garner Group, agrees. “You’ll only know when the market hits bottom after prices start going up.”
TOURISM, RECREATION
Sunset magazine gives a glowing review to Bend
A major PR initiative by local tourism officials paid off handsomely when the February 2008 issue of Sunset magazine ran a major travel feature headlined “Find the Best in Bend.” Travel writer Rachel Levin provided a comprehensive account of experiences on a Bend visit that ranged from outdoor winter sports to “a burgeoning restaurant scene worthy of any big city.” And, she noted in the lead sentence, “Whoever visits Bend, moves to Bend.” Read full story.
Warren Miller film to include Bend footage
Warren Miller Entertainment will include a five-minute segment on Mt. Bachelor, Bend and Central Oregon in its 2008 winter sports movie. Filming will take place in February. Local snowboard stars Gerry Lopez, Ben Watts and Josh Dirksen will appear in the film, which will be screened internationally.
$100 million project will improve Central Oregon fisheries
Taking 15 months to complete and costing $100 million, a migrating fish collection facility at Round Butte Dam near Culver should be complete in 2009. It will take in water and fish from the surface of Lake Billy Chinook and separate the fish into holding ponds so they can be trucked around Round Butte and downstream Pelton dams. This will permit reintroduction of salmon and steelhead to Deschutes, Crooked and Metolius rivers above the dams, owned by Portland General Electric and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
Bend tourist bureau links with Merrill
Merrill, an outdoor footwear and apparel manufacturer based in Rockford, Mich., is the Official Outfitter of the Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau through the end of 2008. As part of the cross-promotion agreement, Merrill will pay for a share of the bureau’s marketing budget and receive two adventure vacation packages that will be used to promote Bend.
Oregon amateur championship moves to Bend
Bend Golf & Country Club will host the 2008 Oregon Amateur Championship June 16-31. The event joins the Jeld-Wen Tradition, Aug. 11-17 at Crosswater, and three returning PGA tournaments on the region’s golf schedule. The three are the Kah-Nee-Tah Special Pro-Am, the Top Gun Open at Crooked River Ranch, and the Fall Tour at four Central Oregon courses.
GROWTH, ECONOMY
Population Continues to Soar
Central Oregon's three counties continued to lead the state in the rate of population growth between July 2006 and July 2007, according to latest figures from the Portland State University Population Research Center. The center’s population estimates, released in December, place Bend at 77,780, Redmond at 24,805 and Prineville at 10,190. Read more.
Individual incomes show growth
Figures released Dec. 20 by the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed strong individual income growth in 2005 and 2006 for residents of Deschutes and Crook counties. Private and public wages in Deschutes increased 11.4% in 2005 and 13.4% in 2006. Crook’s compensation grew 7.3% in 2005 and 6.5% in 2006. Average per-capita incomes for 2006 were $33,324 in Deschutes and $32,710 in Crook.
PLANNING REDMOND’S FUTURE
A great deal of planning directed toward future commercial, industrial and residential development has centered on Redmond. Concepts extend from Helmholtz Way at the west to undeveloped scrub juniper land to the east. Projects proposed for the outer margins of the city will require rezoning, site plan approval and infrastructure development.
East Side Framework Plan
Following adoption of a framework plan for the west side in 2006, the city is moving forward with a conceptual plan for 1,800 acres to the east owned by Deschutes County. The area includes 250 acres inside the city limits. The city initially will buy 216 acres from the county. The latest plan, presented at a public meeting Jan. 30, allocates land use at 47% residential, 29% industrial, 4% community use (including schools and a recreation center), and 20% open space. Otak Inc., an engineering and planning firm, prepared the plan. Located north of Highway 126 and east of 17th St., the community would accommodate more than 10,000 people over the next 20 years. A variety of issues remain to be addressed. Read more.
West and North Side projects
At W. Highway 126 and NW Helmholtz Way, a 143-acre site involving 14 property owners is being master planned by Edge Development Group for mixed residential and commercial uses, including an 18.3-acre retail complex at the highway intersection. Additionally, Parr Lumber Co. purchased 10 acres in the area and will move from downtown Redmond.
Two developments in the northwest sector are in early planning stages. SunLand Trust LLC has applied to develop 39 acres at NW 17th St. and Hemlock Ave. into 300 homesites. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12. Woodhill Crossing, at NW 27th St. and Maple Ave., is proposed by Woodhill Homes as a neighborhood of 170 single-family homes, 180 apartment units and 100,000 sq ft of retail space.
Plans have been filed with the city for a retail and residential community near NE King Way, N. Canal Blvd. and the Highway 97 re-route. Planned for a 10-year build-out, the parcel would contain 168 condominiums, 220 apartments and five retail buildings. Falcon Fund LLC and Watson Family LP are the developers.
Virginia Center, on N. Highway 97 near The Home Depot, is a 27-acre, 115,000-sq ft retail development planned by Watson Family LP. The Home Depot at 300 NW Quince Ave. opened in December 2007.
Downtown Redmond redevelopment
Much has been written over the last few months about plans to transform downtown Redmond into a shopper-friendly retail district when the Highway 97 re-route takes through traffic off congested 5th and 6th streets later this year. While details of a downtown plan remain to be hammered out, city officials and business interests agree on the direction of the thrust.
A new 34,500-sq ft city hall and public plaza directly west of downtown will anchor the district. A parking garage initially considered as part of the plan has been dropped for financial reasons, although some business owners feel it is needed to stimulate shopping traffic.
The concept of an arts and theater district and city park near 5th St. and Evergreen Ave. has re-emerged with the announcement that Parr Lumber Co. eventually will move to the west edge of town. This will free the two-acre lumberyard site for development by Parr or a new owner.
Other Redmond projects
Plans have been filed for a 2.1-acre parcel to include 9,051, 2,450 and 5,000-sq buildings as part of Shops at the Old Fair District, SW Veterans Way and S. Canal Blvd. The development covers 16.6 acres including the 11.7-acre Lowe’s home center site. Lowe’s, at 1313 S. Canal Blvd., opened Jan. 25. RTC Properties is the developer.
The fifth and final building in Chelsea Square at SW 11th St. and Veterans Way should be complete this year. It contains 28,000 sq ft of retail space, offices and residential condos. Dr. and Mrs. John Pavlicek, developers.
South Center Mall will result from redevelopment of the 2.41-acre former Wal-Mart site at 2285 S. Highway 97. The 103,394-sq ft building will be divided and two new 20,000-30,000 sq ft buildings constructed by an unidentified buyer.
Desert Rise Industrial Park, 122 acres between Antler and Hemlock avenues on the east side of Redmond, is taking shape. Rocky Mountain Products completed a $5 million, 50,000-sq ft building on five acres in January. Aircraft Rubber Manufacturing Inc. is constructing a 91,811-sq ft factory building with property, building and equipment valued at $8 million. City of Redmond, developer.
BEND PROJECTS
Downtown buildings rising
Downtown infill buildings and outlying mixed-use and retail developments occupy the spotlight as developers continue to invest in the future of Central Oregon. Steelwork is visible at many locations in Bend. Downtown, the 919 Bond building should be complete by May, The Bond was completed in late 2007, and work is underway on the Oxford Hotel luxury hotel and Lava Court low-income apartment/condo building.
Elsewhere in Bend
Brookswood Meadow Plaza at SW Amber Meadow Dr. and Brookswood Blvd. will bring an $11 million, 49,650 sq ft shopping center to the neighborhood. Owners are seeking a large grocery market to anchor the center, to be built by October 2008. Brookswood Meadow LLC, developer.
Two developments are on the drawing boards for the roundabout intersection of SW Century Dr. and Reed Market Rd. Construction of the Cole Center, a 60,000-sq ft retail, office and restaurant center at Mt. Bachelor Dr. and Reed Market Rd., should begin in May with completion in summer 2009. Morgan Mackenzie Inc., developer. Plans for Mt. Bachelor Center, a pair of 12,000-sq ft and 13,000-sq ft retail and office buildings at SW Century Dr. and Reed Market Rd., have been submitted to the city for approval. Mt. Bachelor Center LLC, developer.
Shops at the Old Mill will accommodate an Orvis outdoor store with a new 10,500-sq ft building due this fall. This will be the first Orvis store in the state.
Edge Business Center at NE 18th St. and Sockeye Pl. will eventually be a 100,000-sq ft light industrial campus. Initial 16,800-sq ft buildings are nearing completion. Edge Development Group LLC, developer.
Discovery Park Lodge, a $7.55 million, 78,000-sq ft low-income senior living project in NorthWest Crossing, should be complete by summer 2009. The 53-unit structure at NW Crossing Dr. and Charbonneau St. will be similar to Mountain Laurel Lodge on SW Century Dr. Both are developed by Pacific Crest Affordable Housing.
PRINEVILLE AND SISTERS
Prineville
Ochoco Lumber Co.’s 76-acre former sawmill site at Highway 26 and Coombs Flat Rd. was annexed into city of Prineville last November as a step toward development into a mixed-use commercial, retail and residential neighborhood. Rezoning and site planning are next. The project will build out over 10 years.
Fontana Wood Products Inc. received planning department approval in January to build a 16,640-sq ft lumber and truss operation on the former Pine Products mill site northwest of Prineville.
Sisters
Sisters Plaza, on a former gas station site at Cascade Ave. and Oak St. downtown, will contain 11 high-end retail shops. Plans are yet to be submitted. Nick Veroske, developer.
McKenzie Meadow Village, 30 acres at McKinney Butte Rd. and McKinney Ranch Rd., will accommodate 106 homes, an assisted-living facility, an early childhood development center and commercial buildings. Annexation and city approval are required. Bill Willits, Curt Kalberg and Ryan Reed, developers.
Sisters city officials are pondering how to regulate the eventual use of a 53-acre parcel on the west side that the US Forest Service plans to sell at auction. The parcel will require rezoning from its public facility designation before a buyer can develop it. A master plan will be required of any prospective developer. Guidelines for building dimensions, open space and land use remain on the city council’s work list.
DESTINATION RESORTS
Planners OK Sunriver Village redevelopment
In approving plans by SilverStar Destinations to redevelop Sunriver Village Mall into a large retail center and condominium village, Deschutes County planning commissioners cut the number of condos allowed to 500 from 600 and requested minimum retail space equal to the present 120,000 sq ft. The zone change proposal now moves to the county board of commissioners. One Sunriver Resort homeowner has filed suit against the project, claiming violations of homeowner association and state regulations.
Huge resort proposed for timberland near La Pine
Early planning for a proposed 9,000-acre Crescent Creek Ranch resort near Gilchrist and Crescent in northern Klamath County calls for two golf courses, 2,000 home sites and 800 overnight lodging units. Owned by Cascade Timberlands LLC, the property was taken over by creditors after Crown Pacific Partners LP filed for bankruptcy in 2003. Project planners hope for public hearings in 2008. The site is approximately 15 miles south of La Pine.
BUSINESS LOG
Cessna establishes footprint in Bend
Purchase of Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corp. by Cessna Aircraft Co. for $26.4 million in December allayed fears that the company would fade from the Bend employment scene. Cessna has committed to continued making the composite airframe, high-performance planes that expand the Cessna product line. The Bend plant employs about 430 people. Cessna executive Mark Withow becomes manager of the Bend facility in February.
IdaTech adds European distributor; cells pass military test
IdaTech has partnered with the German firm b+w Electronic Solutions to distribute the company’s ElectraGen units to telecommunications service providers in Germany and Eastern Europe. The self-contained generators convert methanol into hydrogen, which generates electricity via fuel cells. A similar fuel cell generator developed for military use, using jet fuel or diesel as its base fuel, has been tested successfully by a US Army research center in Fort Belvoir, Va., and will move to tactical field tests.
Waste conversion firm brings HQ to Bend
Integrated Environmental Technologies LLC will relocate its headquarters to Bend from Richland, Wash. The company has developed technology solutions to convert waste into ethanol, methanol and other clean fuels and commercial products such as glass. The company will occupy a 3,400-sq ft facility in Bend’s Old Mill District. A technology center will remain in Richland but a second R&D facility may be added in Bend.
EDUCATION
COCC to add campus center, health facility
Central Oregon Community College has drafted a multi-year expansion plan that includes a campus center, new student housing, a health and science building, improvements to existing buildings and expanded parking. Construction of the campus center should commence in March, with completion a year later. The $30-35 million health and science building will be funded partially by a $5.8 million allocation from the Oregon Legislature. A bond issue may finance the balance.
Bend High to add tech center
Bend High School will add a technical center to focus on engineering and other technical programs. The $4 million addition is part of the $119 million school bond measure approved in November 2006. It should be finished by the start of the 2009-2010 school year.
Aviation program expands
Central Oregon Community College is partnering with Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls to offer a bachelor’s degree in aviation operations management. COCC’s two-year aviation program includes flight training and an associate degree in aviation science. The program will allow students to earn a four-year degree without leaving Bend.
School bond measures forthcoming
Redmond and Crook County school districts are considering bond measures for elections this year. Redmond officials are studying three options for the May election, ranging from $75 million to $115 million, to build a second high school and replace Evergreen elementary school. Crook County is considering a $66 million bond issue for the May or November ballot to replace Ochoco and Powell Butte elementary schools and enlarge Crook County High School.
HEALTH CARE
St. Charles facilities expand
St. Charles Medical Center-Bend opened a $14.5 million, 24,000-sq ft birthing center late last year, containing 12 new labor and delivery rooms and 12 private neonatal intensive care rooms. An estimated 300 babies a year will be treated in the neonatal intensive care unit. The Bend hospital will add two new operating rooms in 2008 adjacent to The Heart Center. Both will handle open-heart surgeries.
St. Charles-Redmond will double the size of its emergency room when a 4,680-sq ft addition is complete this summer. This follows a major expansion at the hospital in 2006 when the Jeld-Wen Tower added 48 private patient rooms and four operating rooms.
New medical building complete
The newest medical structure on Bend’s east side is the 40,000-sq ft Bend Surgical Partners building near 27th St. and Mary Rose Way. Several practices with specialties including obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, opthamology, ear/nose/throat surgery and cosmetic surgery are relocating to the new building.
AIR TRANSPORTATION
As expected, a record year for Redmond
Passenger boardings at Roberts Field in 2007 exceeded 2006 by 14.5%, reaching a record 246,327. Additional flights and larger aircraft helped meet the demand. Construction of a $36 million terminal expansion is expected to begin in March.
Engine shop proposed for Madras
Madras city officials propose to build a $2.6 million airport hangar to house a heavy aircraft engine maintenance and repair facility to be leased by Redmond-based Butler Aircraft. The facility will provide about 30 jobs. Madras has applied for $2.15 million in lottery-based Connect Oregon II transportation funds to underwrite the project.
Prineville expanding airport facilities
Officials are looking to make the Prineville-Crook County Airport more competitive in the Central Oregon general aviation market. A new terminal is under construction and 39 new hangars are planned. The terminal should be completed by October 2008.
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February 2008
Compiled by The Garner Group
Compiled by The Garner Group
388 SW Bluff Drive, Bend, Oregon 97702. Tel. 541 383-4360. www.thegarnergroup.com
THE GARNER GROUP BECOMES INDEPENDENT AGENCY
BEND, Ore.--The Garner Group Realtors and Development LLC took shape Jan. 1, 2008 as Bend's newest real estate agency. Previously a team within Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate, The Garner Group has reorganized as an independent company. Sandy Garner is President and Chief Executive Officer. Wendy Adkisson is Principal Broker and Chief Operating Officer.
The Garner Group is headquartered at 388 SW Bluff Dr. in Bend's Old Mill District. There are 16 employees and associates, including 12 licensed brokers and specialists in account and transaction management, office management and marketing.
A native of Central Oregon, Garner has been an award-winning Realtor in the region for 29 years and was a licensed Broker with Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate for 20 years. Adkisson was Principal Broker with Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate for 17 years, during which time the company grew from 24 to 42 agents and became No. 1 sales volume among all Coldwell Banker franchisees. She had been with the company since 1985. Read more.
NEW AGENTS JOIN THE GARNER GROUP
We are pleased to announce that Gayle Lewis and Jody Tuttle have joined The Garner Group as licensed Brokers. Both are certified as Graduates, Realtor Institute (GRI).
A frequent visitor since 1964, Lewis moved to Bend in 2006 and obtained her Oregon real estate license. She previously was licensed in Washington. Lewis is an outdoor recreation enthusiast and a board member of the Century Lakes Neighborhood Assn.
Tuttle is a native Oregonian who has lived in Bend since 1975. Before obtaining her real estate license in 2005, she had an 18-year career in software development, most recently as a project manager. Tuttle is a 25-year member of the Mt. Bachelor National Ski Patrol.
HOUSING
Median prices held up well in 2007
When all was said and done for 2007, median home prices in Bend slipped less than 2% from the year before to $345,000. Redmond’s median of $250,000 over the 12-month period was less than 5% behind the 2006 record. In Crook County, the median price inched upward 2% to $199,450. Figures are for homes on lots of less than one acre and come from the Central Oregon Multiple Listing Service. The number of homes sold in Bend during 2007 dropped 27% below 2006. Month-by-month statistics compiled by Bratton Appraisal Group show Bend median home prices peaked in May at $396,000 and varied between $320,000 and $350,000 during the balance of the year.
Low rates support ‘buyer’s market’
Uncertainty has been one of the major factors behind the housing slowdown, but stability is beginning to appear. Agents at The Garner Group report anecdotally that deep price cuts on listed properties have all but disappeared. “There’s a feeling out there that prices are as low as they can go,” observed broker Shelley Griffin. Add 30-year fixed mortgage rates at the lowest level in four years and recent Federal Reserve interest rate cuts and you have what the Bend Chamber of Commerce calls the best home buyer’s market in 20 years. “There’s definitely a tingle to the market that wasn’t there a year ago,” Griffin said.
Growth, demographics prove real estate is local
Alison Garner-Mata, another Garner Group broker, agrees, adding that Central Oregon home buyers should remember that real estate, like politics, is local. “Bad news reflected in national averages reported by the media doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the way it is here,” she said. Garner-Mata pointed to continued strong demographic trends supporting growth in Bend and surrounding areas, and to the undiminished conversion of vacation visitors to full- or part-time residents.
Local groups focus on market
Area chambers of commerce and housing industry groups are advertising and marketing Central Oregon as experiencing the best buyers’ market in 20 years. Here’s why:
- Interest rates are at or near historic lows.
- More homes of all types are available.
- Most builders and lenders are offering buyer incentives.
- New homes cost less to heat and cool, especially if they are energy efficient certified.
- The long term market is sure to appreciate.
This leads to our quote of the month
In answer to a reader’s question about the wisdom of delaying a home purchase: “If your aim by holding off is to try to get the best deal by buying just as prices have hit their low, I think that’s unrealistic. After all, even assuming you can figure out the ideal time to buy—that is, when prices have not only hit a trough but are on the verge of rebounding—by the time you find the house you want, line up the financing and close the deal, the ‘best’ time may have already passed.”--Walter Updegrave, senior editor, Money Magazine
Sandy Garner, President and CEO of The Garner Group, agrees. “You’ll only know when the market hits bottom after prices start going up.”
TOURISM, RECREATION
Sunset magazine gives a glowing review to Bend
A major PR initiative by local tourism officials paid off handsomely when the February 2008 issue of Sunset magazine ran a major travel feature headlined “Find the Best in Bend.” Travel writer Rachel Levin provided a comprehensive account of experiences on a Bend visit that ranged from outdoor winter sports to “a burgeoning restaurant scene worthy of any big city.” And, she noted in the lead sentence, “Whoever visits Bend, moves to Bend.” Read full story.
Warren Miller film to include Bend footage
Warren Miller Entertainment will include a five-minute segment on Mt. Bachelor, Bend and Central Oregon in its 2008 winter sports movie. Filming will take place in February. Local snowboard stars Gerry Lopez, Ben Watts and Josh Dirksen will appear in the film, which will be screened internationally.
$100 million project will improve Central Oregon fisheries
Taking 15 months to complete and costing $100 million, a migrating fish collection facility at Round Butte Dam near Culver should be complete in 2009. It will take in water and fish from the surface of Lake Billy Chinook and separate the fish into holding ponds so they can be trucked around Round Butte and downstream Pelton dams. This will permit reintroduction of salmon and steelhead to Deschutes, Crooked and Metolius rivers above the dams, owned by Portland General Electric and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
Bend tourist bureau links with Merrill
Merrill, an outdoor footwear and apparel manufacturer based in Rockford, Mich., is the Official Outfitter of the Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau through the end of 2008. As part of the cross-promotion agreement, Merrill will pay for a share of the bureau’s marketing budget and receive two adventure vacation packages that will be used to promote Bend.
Oregon amateur championship moves to Bend
Bend Golf & Country Club will host the 2008 Oregon Amateur Championship June 16-31. The event joins the Jeld-Wen Tradition, Aug. 11-17 at Crosswater, and three returning PGA tournaments on the region’s golf schedule. The three are the Kah-Nee-Tah Special Pro-Am, the Top Gun Open at Crooked River Ranch, and the Fall Tour at four Central Oregon courses.
GROWTH, ECONOMY
Population Continues to Soar
Central Oregon's three counties continued to lead the state in the rate of population growth between July 2006 and July 2007, according to latest figures from the Portland State University Population Research Center. The center’s population estimates, released in December, place Bend at 77,780, Redmond at 24,805 and Prineville at 10,190. Read more.
Individual incomes show growth
Figures released Dec. 20 by the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed strong individual income growth in 2005 and 2006 for residents of Deschutes and Crook counties. Private and public wages in Deschutes increased 11.4% in 2005 and 13.4% in 2006. Crook’s compensation grew 7.3% in 2005 and 6.5% in 2006. Average per-capita incomes for 2006 were $33,324 in Deschutes and $32,710 in Crook.
PLANNING REDMOND’S FUTURE
A great deal of planning directed toward future commercial, industrial and residential development has centered on Redmond. Concepts extend from Helmholtz Way at the west to undeveloped scrub juniper land to the east. Projects proposed for the outer margins of the city will require rezoning, site plan approval and infrastructure development.
East Side Framework Plan
Following adoption of a framework plan for the west side in 2006, the city is moving forward with a conceptual plan for 1,800 acres to the east owned by Deschutes County. The area includes 250 acres inside the city limits. The city initially will buy 216 acres from the county. The latest plan, presented at a public meeting Jan. 30, allocates land use at 47% residential, 29% industrial, 4% community use (including schools and a recreation center), and 20% open space. Otak Inc., an engineering and planning firm, prepared the plan. Located north of Highway 126 and east of 17th St., the community would accommodate more than 10,000 people over the next 20 years. A variety of issues remain to be addressed. Read more.
West and North Side projects
At W. Highway 126 and NW Helmholtz Way, a 143-acre site involving 14 property owners is being master planned by Edge Development Group for mixed residential and commercial uses, including an 18.3-acre retail complex at the highway intersection. Additionally, Parr Lumber Co. purchased 10 acres in the area and will move from downtown Redmond.
Two developments in the northwest sector are in early planning stages. SunLand Trust LLC has applied to develop 39 acres at NW 17th St. and Hemlock Ave. into 300 homesites. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12. Woodhill Crossing, at NW 27th St. and Maple Ave., is proposed by Woodhill Homes as a neighborhood of 170 single-family homes, 180 apartment units and 100,000 sq ft of retail space.
Plans have been filed with the city for a retail and residential community near NE King Way, N. Canal Blvd. and the Highway 97 re-route. Planned for a 10-year build-out, the parcel would contain 168 condominiums, 220 apartments and five retail buildings. Falcon Fund LLC and Watson Family LP are the developers.
Virginia Center, on N. Highway 97 near The Home Depot, is a 27-acre, 115,000-sq ft retail development planned by Watson Family LP. The Home Depot at 300 NW Quince Ave. opened in December 2007.
Downtown Redmond redevelopment
Much has been written over the last few months about plans to transform downtown Redmond into a shopper-friendly retail district when the Highway 97 re-route takes through traffic off congested 5th and 6th streets later this year. While details of a downtown plan remain to be hammered out, city officials and business interests agree on the direction of the thrust.
A new 34,500-sq ft city hall and public plaza directly west of downtown will anchor the district. A parking garage initially considered as part of the plan has been dropped for financial reasons, although some business owners feel it is needed to stimulate shopping traffic.
The concept of an arts and theater district and city park near 5th St. and Evergreen Ave. has re-emerged with the announcement that Parr Lumber Co. eventually will move to the west edge of town. This will free the two-acre lumberyard site for development by Parr or a new owner.
Other Redmond projects
Plans have been filed for a 2.1-acre parcel to include 9,051, 2,450 and 5,000-sq buildings as part of Shops at the Old Fair District, SW Veterans Way and S. Canal Blvd. The development covers 16.6 acres including the 11.7-acre Lowe’s home center site. Lowe’s, at 1313 S. Canal Blvd., opened Jan. 25. RTC Properties is the developer.
The fifth and final building in Chelsea Square at SW 11th St. and Veterans Way should be complete this year. It contains 28,000 sq ft of retail space, offices and residential condos. Dr. and Mrs. John Pavlicek, developers.
South Center Mall will result from redevelopment of the 2.41-acre former Wal-Mart site at 2285 S. Highway 97. The 103,394-sq ft building will be divided and two new 20,000-30,000 sq ft buildings constructed by an unidentified buyer.
Desert Rise Industrial Park, 122 acres between Antler and Hemlock avenues on the east side of Redmond, is taking shape. Rocky Mountain Products completed a $5 million, 50,000-sq ft building on five acres in January. Aircraft Rubber Manufacturing Inc. is constructing a 91,811-sq ft factory building with property, building and equipment valued at $8 million. City of Redmond, developer.
BEND PROJECTS
Downtown buildings rising
Downtown infill buildings and outlying mixed-use and retail developments occupy the spotlight as developers continue to invest in the future of Central Oregon. Steelwork is visible at many locations in Bend. Downtown, the 919 Bond building should be complete by May, The Bond was completed in late 2007, and work is underway on the Oxford Hotel luxury hotel and Lava Court low-income apartment/condo building.
Elsewhere in Bend
Brookswood Meadow Plaza at SW Amber Meadow Dr. and Brookswood Blvd. will bring an $11 million, 49,650 sq ft shopping center to the neighborhood. Owners are seeking a large grocery market to anchor the center, to be built by October 2008. Brookswood Meadow LLC, developer.
Two developments are on the drawing boards for the roundabout intersection of SW Century Dr. and Reed Market Rd. Construction of the Cole Center, a 60,000-sq ft retail, office and restaurant center at Mt. Bachelor Dr. and Reed Market Rd., should begin in May with completion in summer 2009. Morgan Mackenzie Inc., developer. Plans for Mt. Bachelor Center, a pair of 12,000-sq ft and 13,000-sq ft retail and office buildings at SW Century Dr. and Reed Market Rd., have been submitted to the city for approval. Mt. Bachelor Center LLC, developer.
Shops at the Old Mill will accommodate an Orvis outdoor store with a new 10,500-sq ft building due this fall. This will be the first Orvis store in the state.
Edge Business Center at NE 18th St. and Sockeye Pl. will eventually be a 100,000-sq ft light industrial campus. Initial 16,800-sq ft buildings are nearing completion. Edge Development Group LLC, developer.
Discovery Park Lodge, a $7.55 million, 78,000-sq ft low-income senior living project in NorthWest Crossing, should be complete by summer 2009. The 53-unit structure at NW Crossing Dr. and Charbonneau St. will be similar to Mountain Laurel Lodge on SW Century Dr. Both are developed by Pacific Crest Affordable Housing.
PRINEVILLE AND SISTERS
Prineville
Ochoco Lumber Co.’s 76-acre former sawmill site at Highway 26 and Coombs Flat Rd. was annexed into city of Prineville last November as a step toward development into a mixed-use commercial, retail and residential neighborhood. Rezoning and site planning are next. The project will build out over 10 years.
Fontana Wood Products Inc. received planning department approval in January to build a 16,640-sq ft lumber and truss operation on the former Pine Products mill site northwest of Prineville.
Sisters
Sisters Plaza, on a former gas station site at Cascade Ave. and Oak St. downtown, will contain 11 high-end retail shops. Plans are yet to be submitted. Nick Veroske, developer.
McKenzie Meadow Village, 30 acres at McKinney Butte Rd. and McKinney Ranch Rd., will accommodate 106 homes, an assisted-living facility, an early childhood development center and commercial buildings. Annexation and city approval are required. Bill Willits, Curt Kalberg and Ryan Reed, developers.
Sisters city officials are pondering how to regulate the eventual use of a 53-acre parcel on the west side that the US Forest Service plans to sell at auction. The parcel will require rezoning from its public facility designation before a buyer can develop it. A master plan will be required of any prospective developer. Guidelines for building dimensions, open space and land use remain on the city council’s work list.
DESTINATION RESORTS
Planners OK Sunriver Village redevelopment
In approving plans by SilverStar Destinations to redevelop Sunriver Village Mall into a large retail center and condominium village, Deschutes County planning commissioners cut the number of condos allowed to 500 from 600 and requested minimum retail space equal to the present 120,000 sq ft. The zone change proposal now moves to the county board of commissioners. One Sunriver Resort homeowner has filed suit against the project, claiming violations of homeowner association and state regulations.
Huge resort proposed for timberland near La Pine
Early planning for a proposed 9,000-acre Crescent Creek Ranch resort near Gilchrist and Crescent in northern Klamath County calls for two golf courses, 2,000 home sites and 800 overnight lodging units. Owned by Cascade Timberlands LLC, the property was taken over by creditors after Crown Pacific Partners LP filed for bankruptcy in 2003. Project planners hope for public hearings in 2008. The site is approximately 15 miles south of La Pine.
BUSINESS LOG
Cessna establishes footprint in Bend
Purchase of Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corp. by Cessna Aircraft Co. for $26.4 million in December allayed fears that the company would fade from the Bend employment scene. Cessna has committed to continued making the composite airframe, high-performance planes that expand the Cessna product line. The Bend plant employs about 430 people. Cessna executive Mark Withow becomes manager of the Bend facility in February.
IdaTech adds European distributor; cells pass military test
IdaTech has partnered with the German firm b+w Electronic Solutions to distribute the company’s ElectraGen units to telecommunications service providers in Germany and Eastern Europe. The self-contained generators convert methanol into hydrogen, which generates electricity via fuel cells. A similar fuel cell generator developed for military use, using jet fuel or diesel as its base fuel, has been tested successfully by a US Army research center in Fort Belvoir, Va., and will move to tactical field tests.
Waste conversion firm brings HQ to Bend
Integrated Environmental Technologies LLC will relocate its headquarters to Bend from Richland, Wash. The company has developed technology solutions to convert waste into ethanol, methanol and other clean fuels and commercial products such as glass. The company will occupy a 3,400-sq ft facility in Bend’s Old Mill District. A technology center will remain in Richland but a second R&D facility may be added in Bend.
EDUCATION
COCC to add campus center, health facility
Central Oregon Community College has drafted a multi-year expansion plan that includes a campus center, new student housing, a health and science building, improvements to existing buildings and expanded parking. Construction of the campus center should commence in March, with completion a year later. The $30-35 million health and science building will be funded partially by a $5.8 million allocation from the Oregon Legislature. A bond issue may finance the balance.
Bend High to add tech center
Bend High School will add a technical center to focus on engineering and other technical programs. The $4 million addition is part of the $119 million school bond measure approved in November 2006. It should be finished by the start of the 2009-2010 school year.
Aviation program expands
Central Oregon Community College is partnering with Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls to offer a bachelor’s degree in aviation operations management. COCC’s two-year aviation program includes flight training and an associate degree in aviation science. The program will allow students to earn a four-year degree without leaving Bend.
School bond measures forthcoming
Redmond and Crook County school districts are considering bond measures for elections this year. Redmond officials are studying three options for the May election, ranging from $75 million to $115 million, to build a second high school and replace Evergreen elementary school. Crook County is considering a $66 million bond issue for the May or November ballot to replace Ochoco and Powell Butte elementary schools and enlarge Crook County High School.
HEALTH CARE
St. Charles facilities expand
St. Charles Medical Center-Bend opened a $14.5 million, 24,000-sq ft birthing center late last year, containing 12 new labor and delivery rooms and 12 private neonatal intensive care rooms. An estimated 300 babies a year will be treated in the neonatal intensive care unit. The Bend hospital will add two new operating rooms in 2008 adjacent to The Heart Center. Both will handle open-heart surgeries.
St. Charles-Redmond will double the size of its emergency room when a 4,680-sq ft addition is complete this summer. This follows a major expansion at the hospital in 2006 when the Jeld-Wen Tower added 48 private patient rooms and four operating rooms.
New medical building complete
The newest medical structure on Bend’s east side is the 40,000-sq ft Bend Surgical Partners building near 27th St. and Mary Rose Way. Several practices with specialties including obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, opthamology, ear/nose/throat surgery and cosmetic surgery are relocating to the new building.
AIR TRANSPORTATION
As expected, a record year for Redmond
Passenger boardings at Roberts Field in 2007 exceeded 2006 by 14.5%, reaching a record 246,327. Additional flights and larger aircraft helped meet the demand. Construction of a $36 million terminal expansion is expected to begin in March.
Engine shop proposed for Madras
Madras city officials propose to build a $2.6 million airport hangar to house a heavy aircraft engine maintenance and repair facility to be leased by Redmond-based Butler Aircraft. The facility will provide about 30 jobs. Madras has applied for $2.15 million in lottery-based Connect Oregon II transportation funds to underwrite the project.
Prineville expanding airport facilities
Officials are looking to make the Prineville-Crook County Airport more competitive in the Central Oregon general aviation market. A new terminal is under construction and 39 new hangars are planned. The terminal should be completed by October 2008.
