Central Oregon News Digest, November 2007
by The Garner Group
Posted 11/14/2007
Compiled by The Garner Group, Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate, Bend, Oregon
Tel. 541 383-4360; toll-free 888 272-6893. www.thegarnergroup.com
Surveys show more than three-quarters of Americans would prefer to own their home rather than rent. Most renters say they rent because of circumstances rather than choice. Through various loan programs and NeighborWorks organizations, families of modest means can buy a home of their own.
If you are a renter, this is the time to identify all the resources available to put you on the path to homeownership. Visit with Realtors and lenders who specialize in low income housing loans, take a first-time homebuyer class (remember you are a first-time homebuyer after three years of not owning a home) and find out if you qualify for down payment assistance.
All interest and property taxes you pay as a homeowner are tax deductible, regardless of income. When this is taken into consideration, your monthly payment for a $215,000 home would be equal to a $975 rent payment. Mortgage insurance is a tax deduction for families making $100,000 or less per year.
To find out more about home ownership visit NeighborWorks at www.nw.org. For first time homebuyers’ education visit NeighborImpact at www.neighborimpact.org. Feel free to e-mail me at julien@botc.com. Call The Garner Group and talk with one of their buyer’s agents who are familiar with lenders that specialize in loans that can help you realize the American dream.
Julie Gray Nash is a loan officer at Bank of the Cascades in Bend. She specializes in guiding first-time and low-income homebuyers into helpful loan assistance programs. For additional information call The Garner Group at 541 383-4360.
Kudos
Bend is a ‘hot spot,’ says Business Week
In the Oct. 29 issue of Business Week, Bend led the list of four US cities called “hot spots” for smart retirees because they have retained their desirability while real estate markets have cooled. “Bend still has everything that made it livable in the first place, including clean air, views of snow-capped mountains, and a mild climate that keeps it sunny and dry most of the year,” BW wrote. The other three cities are San Diego, Miami and Fort Mill, SC.
Winter attractions highlighted
Central Oregon offers a flurry of winter fun, according to a feature in the latest issue of SkyWest Magazine. “Oregon’s heartland located between the base of the Cascade Range and the expansive high desert spreads out around the upscale city of Bend, epitomizing loveliness and outdoor opportunities.” The magazine is placed aboard United Express and Delta Connection flights.
Economy, housing
Growth slowing, but no recession
In a presentation that focused mainly on state and national economic trends, Portland State University economics professor Tom Potiowsky told a Bend audience Nov. 7 that economic growth will continue at a measured pace, with both core inflation and GDP increasing about 2%. Potiowsky addressed the annual Bend Chamber of Commerce Economic Forecast Breakfast.
A statewide economic slow-growth trend will continue through most of 2007, he said, with the growth rate picking up in 2008 and 2009. Housing will continue to slide in 2008 but stabilize by the end of the year, with flat or mild growth in 2008 and 2009. Housing prices will continue to soften across the state. Deschutes County should weather the housing downturn because of its continued population growth, Potiowsky said. Population will continue to grow faster than the rest of the state if the region retains its quality of life, he observed. “Lose your quality of life and you’ll lose growth.”
Bend No. 1 on think tank list
The Milken Institute placed Bend first among 175 metro areas in its size class (under 235,000) as the best-performing city for its ability to create and sustain jobs and grow technology output. This upped Bend from second spot on last year’s list issued by the California economic think tank and Greenstreet Real Estate Partners, a national investment and asset management company. No. 1 overall was Ocala, Fla.
GDP growth outpaces nation
Deschutes County’s gross domestic product grew at three times the national rate between 2001 and 2005, according to the US Commerce Dept. The 33.2% gain, exclusive of inflation, was fueled in part by 17.6% population growth in that period. Real estate and construction accounted for 36.1% of the county’s $5.66 billion GDP in 2005. Economic output grew 9% between 2004 and 2005, placing Bend’s statistical area (Deschutes County) No. 16 among 363 metro areas.
Fed lowers interest rate
The housing industry exhaled collectively Oct. 31 when the Federal Reserve dropped its benchmark interest rate by one-quarter point to 4.5%. The second reduction in as many months, this drops the prime rate to 7.5% and makes home equity loans less expensive by 0.25%, explained Larry Wallace, principal of True North Mortgage in Bend. The mortgage market for first loans reacts to what the Fed says about possible inflation rather than directly to the Federal Funds Rate, so the reduction has not influenced first mortgage rates significantly, Wallace said.
Bend home prices flatten
Year-to-date statistics through the third quarter show the median price for detached homes on residential lots in the Bend area are riding about one-half percent below the same point in 2006, while the number of units sold in the first nine months dropped by 27%. The nine-month median of $349,000 is 0.8% below the full year 2006 median of $351,978. The unit total of 1,223 is roughly on a par with 2003, although the total value is 80% higher, according to MLS figures.
Deschutes job gain ahead of Oregon
Nonfarm payroll employment in Deschutes County stood at 73,050 in September, 2.5% above the year before, according to the Oregon Employment Dept. This compared with a 0.8% gain in Oregon as a whole. Manufacturing employment reductions were offset by gains in educational and health services, retail trade, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services. The unemployment rate in September was 4.4%, a slight drop from 4.6% in August.
Land use, planning
Bend UGB plan being redrafted
After hearing robust public criticism of its draft urban growth boundary expansion plan, the city of Bend has gone back to the drawing board. City council and planning commission members are revisiting growth projections and the formula used to calculate new UGB acreage, and have backed away from extending the boundary around all of the city-owned Juniper Ridge property. As a result, the amount of land incorporated into the new UGB should increase and be more widely dispersed geographically. Expect a new draft to surface sometime in 2008.
Can this marriage be saved?
The perception that Bend city council members were unwavering in their resolve to fast-track development of the 1,500-acre Juniper Ridge site into a showcase mixed-use community has been altered with recent developments. The Oregon Department of Transportation has said it will not sign off on any development plans for Juniper Ridge, other than the approved Les Schwab Tire Centers headquarters building, until a plan to fix the congested Highway 97-Cooley Rd. intersection is approved by ODOT. This and a firmer stance by the city on unresolved issues with Juniper Ridge Partners has caused the city’s relationship with the master developer to hit a rough patch. Both sides have threatened to withdraw but disagree on terms. JRP is working under a memorandum of understanding with the city; whether the two parties will kiss and make up, and proceed with a final contract, is anyone’s guess.
Building Central Oregon
Bend: Building will replace parking lot
Bend’s Urban Renewal Board has agreed to sell a downtown parking lot at Wall St. and Greenwood Ave. to Taylor Pickhardt Development LLC for $3.5 million, based on a proposal to build a four-story mixed-use building. There will be retail space on the ground floor, offices on the second floor and condos above, plus underground parking. Taylor Pickhardt is currently constructing the four-story 919 Bond building in downtown Bend.
Bend: New department store planned
Anchored by a major department store, the Pioneer Crossing shopping center is staged to become a reality on the former home of the iconic Jake’s Truck Stop in south Bend. Gottschalks, a Fresno, Calif.-based chain of 63 department stores, will occupy 55,300 sq ft. Construction should begin next spring and be complete by October 2008.
Bend: St. Francis to build larger church
St. Francis of Assisi parish will build a new church adjacent to the parochial school and parish offices on NE 27th St. in northeast Bend. Following completion in spring 2009, weekend Masses will move to the new facility, which will have twice the capacity of the current church near downtown, built in 1921. That church will be used for weekday Masses and special services.
Bend: Traffic issues stall projects
Streets are being realigned where they pass through the former Mt. Bachelor park and ride lot in southwest Bend but a mixed-use development proposal by Proterra Bend II LLC for the 12.7-acre site is awaiting approval by the city. Also up in the air is a proposal by Mt. Bachelor to build a new park and ride lot on six acres next door. Traffic issues must be ironed out in both cases.
Redmond: Tuscan Village plan approved
Redmond city council members have approved the Tuscan Village retail and office project on Yew Ave. at the south end of town. Four buildings will contain 45,949 sq ft of floor space. A larger concept for the site was scaled back to reduce its traffic impact.
Redmond: Planners mull big parcel
Looking up to 20 years into the future, the city of Redmond and the Oregon Department of State Lands are pondering the best use for 945 acres of state-owned land south of the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. After both parties approve a land use plan, the former Bureau of Land Management tract will most likely be sold in parcels to private developers.
Prineville: Ochoco mill site annexed
One obstacle has been removed from the path of Ochoco Lumber Co.’s plan to revitalize its former sawmill site in Prineville. The 77-acre tract was included in 217 acres annexed by the city council, paving the way for the company to apply for a zone change and prepare a master plan that would combine residential, retail, office and light industrial uses.
Companies
Bidders line up for Columbia Aircraft
Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corp., the largest of Central Oregon’s three aircraft makers, is being sold in bankruptcy. There is no shortage of prospective buyers, including Cessna Aircraft Co. and Cirrus Design Corp., two large aircraft companies. Cessna and others have said they would keep the plant in Bend. Columbia employs about 430 people, down from about 700 at its peak. Columbia filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sept. 24.
New partner at Epic
Meanwhile, Bend’s other airplane manufacturer has an affluent new partner and is poised to expand. Epic Aircraft’s parent company, Aircraft Investor Resources LLC, sold a 50% interest in Epic to flamboyant Indian businessman Vijay Mallya for a reported but unconfirmed $200 million. This investment will permit Epic to undertake a two-phase expansion program that will increase manufacturing space and job numbers substantially at its Bend Municipal Airport site. Rick Schrameck will remain as Epic’s CEO.
Microsemi gets military contract
Microsemi Corp. has been awarded a $1.6 million contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratory to develop lightweight components for military avionics systems. Work will be done at the semiconductor manufacturer’s Power Products Group in Bend. Researchers have been hired and production staff should increase in 2008-2009.
Tourism
Statewide sports group promotes local events
The Oregon Sports Authority, a Portland-based non-profit that works to attract major sports events to the state, has formed a Bend chapter to promote Central Oregon as a sports venue. Two events are already on the calendar: USA Winter Triathlon National Championships Feb. 9 at Mt. Bachelor, and the American Bicycle Assn. BMX Great Northwest Nationals April 4-6 at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. The latter should attract 1,200 riders.
Destination resorts
Thornburgh must address wildlife impact
Thornburgh Resort developers must assemble a wildlife impact plan before resubmitting an application to Deschutes County, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled Nov. 7. Owners of the 2,000-acre site say this will provide definitive guidelines for the study and related public input. Opponents to development of the site appealed the county’s previous approval to the state level.
Mall redevelopment process continues
Sunriver Village Mall’s redevelopment into a mixed-use town center is being considered by the Deschutes County planning commission. SilverStar Destinations LLC proposes to build shops, a hotel and condos with a Swiss Alpine theme on 26.5 acres, in what could be a $100 million project. The current mall is an aging facility with a 20% vacancy rate. The next hearing will be Dec. 13.
Transportation
Passenger numbers keep climbing
Roberts Field in Redmond recorded 203,950 passenger boardings through the first 10 months of 2007, up 14.7% from 2006. Monthly records continue to fall, with 21,106 boardings in October, up 9.5% from last year. The 2006 total of 215,163 will easily be surpassed this year. Redmond is “the hottest airport in the Pacific Northwest,” observed industry consultant Mike Boggs.
Bend airport runway finished
Construction of a $10 million runway at Bend Municipal Airport was completed in October. The strip replaces an old runway allows larger aircraft to clear the adjacent taxiway. It also has greater capacity than the old runway, in anticipation of increased private jet traffic. Next up: more hangars, airport-related commercial space and a new general aviation terminal.
If at first you don’t succeed…
Look for one or more revenue proposals on the November 2008 ballot to finance street improvements and public transit in Bend. A citizen committee will evaluate and price out transit objectives while city staff conducts a similar study on street requirements. The city’s Bend Area Transit bus system was jump-started in 2006 through general fund financing but officials feel its continued operation depends on an independent revenue source such as a transit district. Voters rejected similar tax proposals in 2000 and 2004.
Education
New Bend schools greenlighted
Two pieces of property to the west and northeast of Bend, earmarked for new elementary schools, have been brought into the Bend city limits. This allows the Bend-La Pine School District to proceed with construction, funded by a recent bond measure.
Redmond bond issue studied
Redmond School District officials are pondering how to frame a bond measure that may be placed on the May 2008 ballot. It would finance a second high school or enlargement of the current Redmond High School plus other expansion projects to alleviate overcrowding.
Redmond expands IB program
Obsidian Middle School in Redmond has become the first middle school in Oregon to achieve International Baccalaureate status. The curriculum focuses on interactive lessons, creative thinking and global outreach and qualifies students for the IB secondary school program at Redmond’s International School of the Cascades.
For information about Central Oregon real estate opportunities, call The Garner Group at 541 383-4360 (toll free 888 272-6893) or visit our web site at www.thegarnergroup.com
486 SW Bluff Drive
Bend, OR 97702
Tel. 541 383-4360
Toll free 888 272-6893
Compiled by The Garner Group, Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate, Bend, OregonTel. 541 383-4360; toll-free 888 272-6893. www.thegarnergroup.com
Guest Column: Realizing the American Dream
By Julie Gray NashSurveys show more than three-quarters of Americans would prefer to own their home rather than rent. Most renters say they rent because of circumstances rather than choice. Through various loan programs and NeighborWorks organizations, families of modest means can buy a home of their own.
If you are a renter, this is the time to identify all the resources available to put you on the path to homeownership. Visit with Realtors and lenders who specialize in low income housing loans, take a first-time homebuyer class (remember you are a first-time homebuyer after three years of not owning a home) and find out if you qualify for down payment assistance.
All interest and property taxes you pay as a homeowner are tax deductible, regardless of income. When this is taken into consideration, your monthly payment for a $215,000 home would be equal to a $975 rent payment. Mortgage insurance is a tax deduction for families making $100,000 or less per year.
To find out more about home ownership visit NeighborWorks at www.nw.org. For first time homebuyers’ education visit NeighborImpact at www.neighborimpact.org. Feel free to e-mail me at julien@botc.com. Call The Garner Group and talk with one of their buyer’s agents who are familiar with lenders that specialize in loans that can help you realize the American dream.
Julie Gray Nash is a loan officer at Bank of the Cascades in Bend. She specializes in guiding first-time and low-income homebuyers into helpful loan assistance programs. For additional information call The Garner Group at 541 383-4360.
Kudos
Bend is a ‘hot spot,’ says Business Week
In the Oct. 29 issue of Business Week, Bend led the list of four US cities called “hot spots” for smart retirees because they have retained their desirability while real estate markets have cooled. “Bend still has everything that made it livable in the first place, including clean air, views of snow-capped mountains, and a mild climate that keeps it sunny and dry most of the year,” BW wrote. The other three cities are San Diego, Miami and Fort Mill, SC.
Winter attractions highlighted
Central Oregon offers a flurry of winter fun, according to a feature in the latest issue of SkyWest Magazine. “Oregon’s heartland located between the base of the Cascade Range and the expansive high desert spreads out around the upscale city of Bend, epitomizing loveliness and outdoor opportunities.” The magazine is placed aboard United Express and Delta Connection flights.
Economy, housing
Growth slowing, but no recession
In a presentation that focused mainly on state and national economic trends, Portland State University economics professor Tom Potiowsky told a Bend audience Nov. 7 that economic growth will continue at a measured pace, with both core inflation and GDP increasing about 2%. Potiowsky addressed the annual Bend Chamber of Commerce Economic Forecast Breakfast.
A statewide economic slow-growth trend will continue through most of 2007, he said, with the growth rate picking up in 2008 and 2009. Housing will continue to slide in 2008 but stabilize by the end of the year, with flat or mild growth in 2008 and 2009. Housing prices will continue to soften across the state. Deschutes County should weather the housing downturn because of its continued population growth, Potiowsky said. Population will continue to grow faster than the rest of the state if the region retains its quality of life, he observed. “Lose your quality of life and you’ll lose growth.”
Bend No. 1 on think tank list
The Milken Institute placed Bend first among 175 metro areas in its size class (under 235,000) as the best-performing city for its ability to create and sustain jobs and grow technology output. This upped Bend from second spot on last year’s list issued by the California economic think tank and Greenstreet Real Estate Partners, a national investment and asset management company. No. 1 overall was Ocala, Fla.
GDP growth outpaces nation
Deschutes County’s gross domestic product grew at three times the national rate between 2001 and 2005, according to the US Commerce Dept. The 33.2% gain, exclusive of inflation, was fueled in part by 17.6% population growth in that period. Real estate and construction accounted for 36.1% of the county’s $5.66 billion GDP in 2005. Economic output grew 9% between 2004 and 2005, placing Bend’s statistical area (Deschutes County) No. 16 among 363 metro areas.
Fed lowers interest rate
The housing industry exhaled collectively Oct. 31 when the Federal Reserve dropped its benchmark interest rate by one-quarter point to 4.5%. The second reduction in as many months, this drops the prime rate to 7.5% and makes home equity loans less expensive by 0.25%, explained Larry Wallace, principal of True North Mortgage in Bend. The mortgage market for first loans reacts to what the Fed says about possible inflation rather than directly to the Federal Funds Rate, so the reduction has not influenced first mortgage rates significantly, Wallace said.
Bend home prices flatten
Year-to-date statistics through the third quarter show the median price for detached homes on residential lots in the Bend area are riding about one-half percent below the same point in 2006, while the number of units sold in the first nine months dropped by 27%. The nine-month median of $349,000 is 0.8% below the full year 2006 median of $351,978. The unit total of 1,223 is roughly on a par with 2003, although the total value is 80% higher, according to MLS figures.
Deschutes job gain ahead of Oregon
Nonfarm payroll employment in Deschutes County stood at 73,050 in September, 2.5% above the year before, according to the Oregon Employment Dept. This compared with a 0.8% gain in Oregon as a whole. Manufacturing employment reductions were offset by gains in educational and health services, retail trade, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services. The unemployment rate in September was 4.4%, a slight drop from 4.6% in August.
Land use, planning
Bend UGB plan being redrafted
After hearing robust public criticism of its draft urban growth boundary expansion plan, the city of Bend has gone back to the drawing board. City council and planning commission members are revisiting growth projections and the formula used to calculate new UGB acreage, and have backed away from extending the boundary around all of the city-owned Juniper Ridge property. As a result, the amount of land incorporated into the new UGB should increase and be more widely dispersed geographically. Expect a new draft to surface sometime in 2008.
Can this marriage be saved?
The perception that Bend city council members were unwavering in their resolve to fast-track development of the 1,500-acre Juniper Ridge site into a showcase mixed-use community has been altered with recent developments. The Oregon Department of Transportation has said it will not sign off on any development plans for Juniper Ridge, other than the approved Les Schwab Tire Centers headquarters building, until a plan to fix the congested Highway 97-Cooley Rd. intersection is approved by ODOT. This and a firmer stance by the city on unresolved issues with Juniper Ridge Partners has caused the city’s relationship with the master developer to hit a rough patch. Both sides have threatened to withdraw but disagree on terms. JRP is working under a memorandum of understanding with the city; whether the two parties will kiss and make up, and proceed with a final contract, is anyone’s guess.
Building Central Oregon
Bend: Building will replace parking lot
Bend’s Urban Renewal Board has agreed to sell a downtown parking lot at Wall St. and Greenwood Ave. to Taylor Pickhardt Development LLC for $3.5 million, based on a proposal to build a four-story mixed-use building. There will be retail space on the ground floor, offices on the second floor and condos above, plus underground parking. Taylor Pickhardt is currently constructing the four-story 919 Bond building in downtown Bend.
Bend: New department store planned
Anchored by a major department store, the Pioneer Crossing shopping center is staged to become a reality on the former home of the iconic Jake’s Truck Stop in south Bend. Gottschalks, a Fresno, Calif.-based chain of 63 department stores, will occupy 55,300 sq ft. Construction should begin next spring and be complete by October 2008.
Bend: St. Francis to build larger church
St. Francis of Assisi parish will build a new church adjacent to the parochial school and parish offices on NE 27th St. in northeast Bend. Following completion in spring 2009, weekend Masses will move to the new facility, which will have twice the capacity of the current church near downtown, built in 1921. That church will be used for weekday Masses and special services.
Bend: Traffic issues stall projects
Streets are being realigned where they pass through the former Mt. Bachelor park and ride lot in southwest Bend but a mixed-use development proposal by Proterra Bend II LLC for the 12.7-acre site is awaiting approval by the city. Also up in the air is a proposal by Mt. Bachelor to build a new park and ride lot on six acres next door. Traffic issues must be ironed out in both cases.
Redmond: Tuscan Village plan approved
Redmond city council members have approved the Tuscan Village retail and office project on Yew Ave. at the south end of town. Four buildings will contain 45,949 sq ft of floor space. A larger concept for the site was scaled back to reduce its traffic impact.
Redmond: Planners mull big parcel
Looking up to 20 years into the future, the city of Redmond and the Oregon Department of State Lands are pondering the best use for 945 acres of state-owned land south of the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. After both parties approve a land use plan, the former Bureau of Land Management tract will most likely be sold in parcels to private developers.
Prineville: Ochoco mill site annexed
One obstacle has been removed from the path of Ochoco Lumber Co.’s plan to revitalize its former sawmill site in Prineville. The 77-acre tract was included in 217 acres annexed by the city council, paving the way for the company to apply for a zone change and prepare a master plan that would combine residential, retail, office and light industrial uses.
Companies
Bidders line up for Columbia Aircraft
Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corp., the largest of Central Oregon’s three aircraft makers, is being sold in bankruptcy. There is no shortage of prospective buyers, including Cessna Aircraft Co. and Cirrus Design Corp., two large aircraft companies. Cessna and others have said they would keep the plant in Bend. Columbia employs about 430 people, down from about 700 at its peak. Columbia filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sept. 24.
New partner at Epic
Meanwhile, Bend’s other airplane manufacturer has an affluent new partner and is poised to expand. Epic Aircraft’s parent company, Aircraft Investor Resources LLC, sold a 50% interest in Epic to flamboyant Indian businessman Vijay Mallya for a reported but unconfirmed $200 million. This investment will permit Epic to undertake a two-phase expansion program that will increase manufacturing space and job numbers substantially at its Bend Municipal Airport site. Rick Schrameck will remain as Epic’s CEO.
Microsemi gets military contract
Microsemi Corp. has been awarded a $1.6 million contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratory to develop lightweight components for military avionics systems. Work will be done at the semiconductor manufacturer’s Power Products Group in Bend. Researchers have been hired and production staff should increase in 2008-2009.
Tourism
Statewide sports group promotes local events
The Oregon Sports Authority, a Portland-based non-profit that works to attract major sports events to the state, has formed a Bend chapter to promote Central Oregon as a sports venue. Two events are already on the calendar: USA Winter Triathlon National Championships Feb. 9 at Mt. Bachelor, and the American Bicycle Assn. BMX Great Northwest Nationals April 4-6 at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. The latter should attract 1,200 riders.
Destination resorts
Thornburgh must address wildlife impact
Thornburgh Resort developers must assemble a wildlife impact plan before resubmitting an application to Deschutes County, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled Nov. 7. Owners of the 2,000-acre site say this will provide definitive guidelines for the study and related public input. Opponents to development of the site appealed the county’s previous approval to the state level.
Mall redevelopment process continues
Sunriver Village Mall’s redevelopment into a mixed-use town center is being considered by the Deschutes County planning commission. SilverStar Destinations LLC proposes to build shops, a hotel and condos with a Swiss Alpine theme on 26.5 acres, in what could be a $100 million project. The current mall is an aging facility with a 20% vacancy rate. The next hearing will be Dec. 13.
Transportation
Passenger numbers keep climbing
Roberts Field in Redmond recorded 203,950 passenger boardings through the first 10 months of 2007, up 14.7% from 2006. Monthly records continue to fall, with 21,106 boardings in October, up 9.5% from last year. The 2006 total of 215,163 will easily be surpassed this year. Redmond is “the hottest airport in the Pacific Northwest,” observed industry consultant Mike Boggs.
Bend airport runway finished
Construction of a $10 million runway at Bend Municipal Airport was completed in October. The strip replaces an old runway allows larger aircraft to clear the adjacent taxiway. It also has greater capacity than the old runway, in anticipation of increased private jet traffic. Next up: more hangars, airport-related commercial space and a new general aviation terminal.
If at first you don’t succeed…
Look for one or more revenue proposals on the November 2008 ballot to finance street improvements and public transit in Bend. A citizen committee will evaluate and price out transit objectives while city staff conducts a similar study on street requirements. The city’s Bend Area Transit bus system was jump-started in 2006 through general fund financing but officials feel its continued operation depends on an independent revenue source such as a transit district. Voters rejected similar tax proposals in 2000 and 2004.
Education
New Bend schools greenlighted
Two pieces of property to the west and northeast of Bend, earmarked for new elementary schools, have been brought into the Bend city limits. This allows the Bend-La Pine School District to proceed with construction, funded by a recent bond measure.
Redmond bond issue studied
Redmond School District officials are pondering how to frame a bond measure that may be placed on the May 2008 ballot. It would finance a second high school or enlargement of the current Redmond High School plus other expansion projects to alleviate overcrowding.
Redmond expands IB program
Obsidian Middle School in Redmond has become the first middle school in Oregon to achieve International Baccalaureate status. The curriculum focuses on interactive lessons, creative thinking and global outreach and qualifies students for the IB secondary school program at Redmond’s International School of the Cascades.
For information about Central Oregon real estate opportunities, call The Garner Group at 541 383-4360 (toll free 888 272-6893) or visit our web site at www.thegarnergroup.com
486 SW Bluff DriveBend, OR 97702
Tel. 541 383-4360
Toll free 888 272-6893
