Redmond has grown by leaps and bounds since I last served as mayor over 20 years ago. Some things, however, have not changed. Despite its growth, Redmond has retained its small-town charm and its focus as a family-oriented community. What has been particularly satisfying is the revitalization of our downtown that now has great restaurants, brew pubs, shops and music venues with a comfortable, friendly pace to it.
Redmond, however, is no longer the small town it once was. It is now a regional center for Central Oregon. Redmond has one of the busiest commercial airports in the entire Northwest. Soon, we will have the second-largest fairgrounds in the United States. Redmond is also one of the few cities in Oregon to have been designed by the State for large-lot industrial properties.
There are 700 acres purposed for that use, located just south of the fairgrounds and Juniper golf course. Redmond, together with its regional partners, will also develop a 300-acre site north of the airport for training police, fire and emergency medical personnel. This site, together with the airport and fairgrounds, will also be the focal point for emergency transport, relief and shelter for significant natural disasters such as wildfires and the anticipated Cascadia event.
Like every community, Redmond has both its challenges and opportunities. The homeless in our community need help, coupled with our obligation to protect the integrity of our residential, commercial and manufacturing neighborhoods. The City, together with Deschutes County and our nonprofit partners, is establishing managed homeless facilities just north of the airport. By the end of this year, the first facility in that campus, Oasis Village, will open.
Our goal is to have the remainder of the campus, an RV facility and a managed camp site, open within the next 12 months. This will enable those now on the streets or on unmanaged public property within our city to relocate to a more secure location.
We are also pursuing strategies to provide more affordable housing. The City received $5 million to help with the Northpoint project. This development will provide around 250 affordable housing units. Other public lands in the northeast area can also provide more affordable housing Those residences will be close to our trade sector businesses, providing more options for commuting to work.
Finally, we are expanding and refining our infrastructure to accommodate future growth. This includes changing our sewer treatment system from a mechanical approach to a wetlands project, similar to the system in Prineville. Regarding water, the City has and will continue to implement state-of-the-art conservation measures. We will also, over time, implement a beltway via a connected arterial road system on the east and west sides to alleviate future congestion in the city's core. This project has begun with an investment of $30 million for the eastside arterial to be completed by 2028.
Please come visit. Redmond is also a great location to locate your business and to live in.
