Last week’s Source feature story, “Promised Land,” made one thing abundantly clear: Developers, along with a few vanguard businesses in the Bend Central District, think the process of revitalizing, aka developing, the area isn’t moving fast enough. Some developers Reporter Julianna LaFollette talked to place not a small amount of blame on the City of Bend, which, among its challenges, has to work out how to fund and operate, or close and relocate, a facility for houseless residents before it can move to the next big step of building a new city hall on the properties it’s acquired along Franklin Avenue and northward. Meanwhile, the City is moving forward on its funded pedestrian bridge, and on street improvements on and around other parts of Hawthorne, Franklin and Second Streets. Things are moving, but they’re moving slower than those who stand to make the most profit off a newly gentrified area would like.
We, too, support the development of this area, and the investments there, but we hesitate to say that the City isn’t moving fast enough. There are drawbacks and cautionary tales around gentrification, and we should be mindful of those.
Amid private-sector pressure to hurry up and figure it all out, the City has to wrestle with thorny and humanitarian issues, such as not kicking out the houseless population that has cropped up in the area. Beyond the houseless population that currently lives around the Bend Central District, there are also residents who pre-date revitalization. Hundreds of people lived in the BCD as of the 2024 Census. Some of them have been and will continue to be displaced as the area redevelops. Likewise, many businesses already operate in the BCD. What’s next for them? Will they be encouraged to stay or go? Will they be able to afford rents if the area becomes more attractive to others?
For these reasons, it seems that a cautionary timeline is the prudent option here. Move forward on what’s possible, such as street improvements (another thing developers have in the past said they wanted before starting projects), but do so with a plan in place for those who already exist there. New apartments and coffee shops and mixed-use spaces will be nice to have as a “second downtown,” and yet, Bend should move forward in a socially conscious and egalitarian way.
For example, as the City makes its own plans for the area, what could it look like to refrain from displacing the shelters and services that are currently in the area, but instead to integrate them into the carefully laid-plans that City residents will be asked to pay for? It would be nice to think that the City is banking on solving homelessness in the city before the new city hall breaks ground, meaning we wouldn’t need a Rainbow Motel or Lighthouse Navigation Center, but we’re not holding our breath.
We support the revitalization efforts in the Bend Central District, but we are pro-process. In order to express support for a revitalized area just outside of downtown Bend, we can’t sweep under the rug those who existed before it came to fruition. They must be integrated into the plan, and that’s going to take longer.
While it’s true that private business has a faster timeline — as has been done in the area around the Box Factory in recent years — local governments move slower because they have to take the time to incorporate more voices. That’s the way it should be.
This article appears in Source Weekly June 12, 2025.
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Anyone who thinks development should pay for it’s infrastructure impacts will have trouble reconciling these two statements: “moving slower than those who stand to make the most profit off a newly gentrified area would like” vs. “carefully laid-plans that City residents will be asked to pay for”.
Not included in your recent article, is a very exciting new nonprofit which is going into the Bend Central District. Replacing the City Thrift, on Greenwood and 2nd, will be The Open Arts Center. This sustainably designed nonprofit, is a creative community center, welcoming all teens 12-18, at no charge. Offerings will include music composition and recording, painting and drawing, mixed media, digital media, creative writing, dance and movement, theater arts, fashion and costume design and more. There will be art studios of different sizes to rent for our artist community. If you would be interested in finding out more or in volunteering, much more info information can be found at theopenartscenter.org .
“… that city residents will be asked to pay for”.
Some will pay more than others, and some will pay nothing at all. If that’s what is meant by egalitarian then no thank you. Let those with real skin in the game drive the bus. And enough with the traffic calming, but if you going to do it then synch all the lights and disallow left turns during certain times of the day.
Thanks for this rebuttal. I agree on a lot of these terms. We’ve been a massive anchor and pioneer for 5 years in this district and are often left out in future planning articles which is worrisome. There are residents and a lot.more red tape than people know or care to recognize. Its going to be a slow slow trudge….but the city needs to delay a lot of the permitting costs for locals if we want small business to thrive in the district. Side note…losing Allison platt this year was also a huge detriment to forward momentum.
-John at Somewhere Thats Green 💚