In an effort to promote new infrastructure and housing, the City of Bend is requesting proposals for two separate areas in Bend that developers have an opportunity to purchase and build on. The areas, Juniper Ridge and SE Ninth Street, are both available to purchase, however, they are designated for different types of development.
On Dec. 6, Bend City Council declared both parcels of land as surplus, placing the properties for sale through a bidding process, according to a press release. The land includes 200 acres within the Juniper Ridge Overlay Zone and a 3.4-acre site near the intersection of SE Glenwood Drive and SE Ninth Street.
The Juniper Ridge area is intended for future commercial and industrial uses. The City is encouraging employment growth, hoping to attract a variety of higher-than-median wage jobs. The other piece of land, SE Ninth Street, is limited to rental and owner-occupied housing. The allowed residential uses include several different housing types, including single-unit detached dwellings, townhomes, duplexes and triplexes, as well as cottage cluster developments.
Developers looking to purchase and build on these parcels of land will submit proposals to the City, which will then be evaluated based on multiple criteria, including anticipated timelines, purchase price, developer experience and community benefits.
Juniper Ridge, which has long been a camp for individuals experiencing homelessness, has gone through several proposed changes in recent years. In 1990 Deschutes County sold the land to the City, requiring it to create a master plan for the site. The goal was to create employment, education and research opportunities with a mixture of uses. Years later, after the land was passed back and forth between various developers and the City, growth at Juniper Ridge required reconstructing nearby intersections and roadways, which halted any progress.
In 2020, with dozens of people living in the area, the City of Bend removed residents to complete a sewer line project that ran directly through the encampment. Just a few months later, the City planned to build a temporary RV park and campground to offer a site for people without permanent shelter, which never materialized.
In June, with an estimate of 200 campsites remaining in the Juniper Ridge area, Deschutes County commissioners voted to remove code-defying structures and vehicles from the northern part of Juniper Ridge, citing code infractions related to unsafe dumping of waste and fire hazards. Dirt World, a term describing an area of Juniper Ridge where homeless people have been camping, continues to have residents living there today.
This article appears in Source Weekly December 21, 2023.
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