[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6658118,"mediaKeyId","5029728-caa8c94e4bfb7d6dbfaaabae2665c0da","parentId",5029728,"title","Bend urban renewal agency advances three housing projects, pauses broader housing applications","audioSeconds",848,"startMs",805000,"endMs",1653000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5029728-caa8c94e4bfb7d6dbfaaabae2665c0da&start=805&end=1653","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5029728-caa8c94e4bfb7d6dbfaaabae2665c0da/thumbnail_805000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6658118/Bend/Deschutes-County/Oregon/Bend-urban-renewal-agency-advances-three-housing-projects-pauses-broader-housing-applications","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658118-f07d2fae91c833baf36ad1b4c8900b9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771117733&Signature=maYkTZqCHGSwyNC9sO4d3YckXw4ysQrPWbAzKaW1HjET82x-8l52bQFyC9ER5xSCo-RmQw4eLfoP2ldWslAbl7n5Tfh80g7Zqb6CMuwwvnLe4mCqMquWPxmGe4nTqz50EE8otz~mPC2H4rukjIgQXDYTPJprufdZVMsfI-Gh9pekzgSxHmKHIVmdj3C46PRzr~7JAjlghJ1jTv8gS70LuHT2-mOe1plTDzmq4QH0oxx7jkTZrZ~o9mE3WyDnPEBI285Ke8Z1c0Az3ksLiAey1BdgqCXUNoigI4Iyegw-8G5OY-nBtUpdcp2ExPotOQICqkC47J~3owRZCk29Ec9b8A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Bend, OR","date","2025-06-19T11:41:23.763Z","article","The Bend Urban Renewal Agency on June 18 advanced three site-specific housing proposals that together propose 413 new units across three projects, and directed staff to draft the documents needed for development assistance and the creation or amendment of tax increment financing (TIF) areas.

Urban renewal project manager Jonathan Taylor presented the three applications and staff recommendations, and reminded the agency that the projects draw on the city’s TIF policy for housing affordability. Taylor said staff recommended pausing acceptance of new applications for a site-specific housing policy while the agency completes a broader policy review this fall — but recommended TIF for employment projects remain available in existing districts.

Parkway Studios (17 NW Irving), a 24-unit studio project proposed by Parkway Studios of Redmond, received a motion to proceed and unanimous approval from the agency. Applicant Eric Kreipu told the agency the project relies on urban renewal assistance to be financeable, that he is using local contractors and local design teams, and that he plans to pursue energy-efficiency measures. The agency approved staff direction to draft a development agreement and provide development assistance for Parkway Studios.

The Jewel project (corner of NE Fourth and Olney) is a proposed 125-unit, studio/one‑bedroom building. Applicant representatives said the project would target middle-income households and would aim for at least 15% of contracts to local minority- and women‑owned businesses. Staff noted the application seeks a minor boundary amendment to include the site in the Core Area TIF plan; under Oregon law minor amendments that add less than 1% of the original plan area may be adopted by resolution. Because agency members asked for more certainty on unit mix and financing, the agency voted to direct staff to prepare a minor amendment but asked for a check‑in before the amendment is adopted — effectively advancing the site into the TIF amendment process but asking staff and the applicant to return with clearer commitments and updated timelines.

Project Emblem (Quaterra Multifamily Communities / Lennar) would create a new TIF area and construct 264 units on an 8.3‑acre site in the southeast growth area. The applicant told the agency that the site has been difficult to finance and that TIF assistance would be the difference in making the project viable. After discussion about the scale of the rebate per affordable unit and whether the site met the legal blight findings used to justify a new TIF, the agency voted to direct staff to draft documents necessary to establish a new TIF area and to provide development assistance for the project; the motion passed.

Across the three proposals staff summarized combined impacts including roughly $27 million of proposed TIF rebates over the life of the programs, a projected $124 million in local economic output during construction, and an estimated household rent savings of $19 million if applicants deliver the affordability they propose. Taylor said the projects meet the extended‑rebate policy for greater than 12 years and that the applicants have proposed local contracting commitments and varying affordability mixes (including units restricted between 60–90% AMI depending on the site).

After the project votes the agency moved — and passed — a motion to pause acceptance and review of new applications under the city’s Tax Increment Assistance for Housing Affordability policy until the agency completes a review and any changes to the policy, while allowing employment projects within existing TIF areas to proceed. Agency members said the pause is intended to allow a comprehensive policy review later in 2025 while not blocking projects already far along in the process.

What the votes mean: the agency’s approvals direct staff to draft development agreements and associated documents (including a resolution to establish the new TIF area for the Emblem site). Parkway Studios will move into drafting of a development agreement next; Jewel will proceed through an amendment check‑in process before final adoption of the minor amendment; Emblem will proceed through the new TIF area resolution and public review process recommended by staff. The agency also set a public hearing timeline (public hearing for the new TIF area was scheduled for Sept. 3 in staff’s presentation) and reminded taxing districts they will be notified and given an opportunity to comment.

Why it matters: Bend continues to use targeted TIF tools to assist development in core and growth areas and to secure restricted‑rent units. Agency members and applicants repeatedly framed the decisions as responses to current market conditions — high interest rates and higher construction costs — that make otherwise viable housing projects difficult to finance without subsidy. The agency’s pause on new applications signals that staff and members want a fall policy review to consider refinements to the housing TIF program going forward.

What’s next: Staff will draft development agreements and bring resolutions and final documents back to the agency for formal adoption and required public hearings. If the agency advances resolutions, the City Council will also take action as part of the formal urban renewal/TIF adoption process. The agency also said it will conduct the policy review this fall and return with recommended changes.

Key votes and motions (at a glance)
- Parkway Studios (17 NW Irving): Motion to direct staff to draft development agreement and provide development assistance — passed unanimously.
- Project Emblem (61105 Ferguson Road): Motion to direct staff to draft documents to establish new TIF area and provide development assistance — passed.
- Jewel (424 NE Olney): Motion to prepare a minor amendment to include the site in the Core Area TIF plan and to direct staff to prepare a development agreement; council asked for an added check‑in prior to adoption — motion passed (amendment/check‑in added).
- Pause on new site‑specific housing applications under the TIF policy: Motion passed; employment projects in existing TIF districts remain eligible.

Speakers (selection)
- Jonathan Taylor — Urban renewal project manager (staff presentation)
- Eric Kreipu — Parkway Studios (applicant, Parkway Studios)
- David Mosey — Applicant representative (Jewel project JV)
- Peter Van Overbeck — Quaterra/Lennar representative (Emblem project)
- Chair Mike Riley — Bend Urban Renewal Agency (motions & direction)

Proper names mentioned
- Bend Urban Renewal Agency
- Parkway Studios
- Jewel (project / site at NE Fourth & Olney)
- Quaterra Multifamily Communities (Lennar)
- Core Area TIF Plan

Discussion versus formal action
- Discussion: Policy pause, application specifics, local contracting targets, and financial assumptions for ROI.
- Direction/formal action: Motions to direct staff to prepare development agreements, to prepare a minor amendment, and to begin the formal TIF adoption process for the Emblem site; vote to pause acceptance of new housing applications under the current TIF policy.

Sources (selected transcript excerpts)
- Topic intro (staff presentation): \"So good afternoon, chair, members of the commission. I'm Jonathan Taylor, the urban renewal project manager.\" (transcript block starting 805.18: evidence_excerpt: \"So good afternoon, chair, members of the commission. I'm Jonathan Taylor, the urban renewal project manager.\")
- Parkway applicant testimony: \"My name is Eric Kreipu... I'm a small time independent developer... I'm using local architect, local engineer.\" (transcript block starting 1910.64: evidence_excerpt: \"My name is Eric Kreipu, and I'm trying to build the Parkway Studios here in downtown. ... I'm using local architect, local engineer.\")
- Staff summary of pause and next steps: \"This round will be the conclusion of the 2025 effort... staff is recommended by staff to move a motion to pause the applications of acceptance for the housing specific policy...\" (transcript block starting 834.0: evidence_excerpt: \"...staff is recommending that the employment policy continues to remain active in only the existing urban renewal districts.\")

Searchable tags: urban-renewal,tif,housing,affordable-housing,Parkway-Studios,Jewel,Emblem,TIF-amendment

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City engineering staff presented a progress update on a design‑build contract for Franklin Avenue between Harriman and Eighth Street. The work is split into packages. Staff recommended moving a lower‑impact segment (Fourth to Eighth Street) forward to construction this fall under an upcoming guaranteed maximum price (GMP 3) and postponing the more complex western segment (Harriman to Fourth, GMP 4) for either later construction or value‑engineering. The more complex section involves a railroad undercrossing with constrained space, and engineers said constructing drainage and new curb/wall alignment there would require a 5–6 month complete closure of the underpass in order to finish the work safely and on time.

City staff also presented an updated budget. The Midtown Crossing geobond allocation originally included funding for Greenwood, Hawthorne, and Franklin corridors; Greenwood work is complete as a quick‑build. After the federal grant made Hawthorne Bridge construction feasible, staff said much of the remaining Midtown Crossing budget is now aligned toward Franklin. Staff reported a current funding gap driven by final design refinements and contractor estimates; a contingency of roughly $3.9 million sits between the present design and the project budget. If that contingency is needed, staff said the most readily available additional funding source would be the remaining geobond allocation for Midtown Crossing, otherwise staff would bring a request to council for new appropriation.

Council concern and direction
Several councilors raised concerns about the scale and cost of the Franklin design, in particular the sections that call for multiple travel lanes, a center turn lane, and wide curb radii that would require rebuilding or shifting walls and utilities. Councilors asked whether the corridor might be scaled back, phased differently, or rely more on redevelopment to fund or trigger frontage improvements. Several councilors also asked for clearer options for how the Hawthorne Bridge landings on either side of the river will connect to upgraded Franklin, and what additional costs would be needed to accomplish those linkages.

Engineers noted specific cost drivers: moving walls to provide uphill separated bike lanes on both sides of the underpass (estimated at roughly $2 million), drainage mitigation under the railroad, and required driveway reconfigurations across the corridor. Staff said the most likely path if a large portion of the contingency is required is to draw more from the Midtown Crossing geobond allocation — the same money that will be used as the city’s matching funds for the federally funded Hawthorne Bridge — and warned council that shifting those funds would constrain other Midtown projects.

Council action and next steps
Council signaled support to proceed with the GMP 3 package (Fourth to Eighth Street) and asked staff to return with options for narrowing scope and value‑engineering GMP 4, including phased frontage work that aligns with private redevelopment. Councilors requested additional analysis on: (1) removing or shrinking the center turn lane, (2) options for the underpass work that reduce closure time or shift construction sequencing, (3) phasing requirements so that frontage improvements are triggered by redevelopment rather than built city‑wide up front, and (4) more clarity on what additional work would be necessary to connect the Hawthorne Bridge landings to improved Franklin.

Why this matters
Franklin is the planned east‑west backbone of Bend’s bikeway system and one of a handful of major east‑west crossings that carry traffic and provide access to the downtown and central districts. Councilors said they are willing to invest in connection and safety improvements but want clearer tradeoffs between large, immediate capital outlays and a phased approach that would spread costs as private redevelopment occurs. Staff committed to return to council with value‑engineering options, revised cost estimates, and a Midtown‑wide funding update in the fall.

Speakers
- Ryan Oster — Director of Engineering (city staff presentation)
- Todd (senior project engineer) — project engineer (city staff)
- Russ (Chief operations officer; name in transcript: \"Rescoracing chief operations officer\") — operations perspective

Transcript evidence
- Topic intro: \"So good evening, council. Rescoracing chief operations officer. I'm here with Ryan Oster, who is our director of engineering and city engineer.\" (transcript block starting 6605.11)
- Underpass closure estimate: \"...we're estimating a 5 to 6 month full closure of the Franklin undergrossing.\" (transcript block starting 7244.44)

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DBBA executive director Rachel O’Rourke presented results from two recent surveys the association ran: a community survey that drew roughly 1,500 responses and a business/property owner survey with 124 responses. DBBA said results showed divided public opinion and clear concerns from downtown businesses about parking loss and economic impacts.

Key survey findings presented by DBBA
- Community responses (≈1,500): 40% favored removing parklets to create more parking, nearly 30% said leave them as‑is, and 22% favored modifying them to occupy fewer parking spaces. Many respondents reported they rarely or never used parklets in off‑season months.
- Downtown business responses (124 businesses; five of those are parklet owners): 59% of downtown business respondents said they strongly oppose the current parklet program; 81% reported negative effects from reduced nearby parking; 50% believed fewer customers were visiting; and 60% said it is “extremely important” that the downtown business community have a voice in decisions on parklets.

DBBA recommendations
DBBA’s board, which voted earlier the same day, recommended a set of changes to the program:
- Seasonal use only: permit parklets only during peak months (generally May–October) and remove them during the off‑season to restore parking and access.
- Mandatory design standards: require uniform aesthetics and maintenance standards for all parklets; prohibit poorly maintained or unattractive parklets.
- Active‑use requirement: parklets must be actively used by the adjacent business; if a business leaves a parklet unused (for example during remodeling), it should not occupy public space.
- Standardize space allocation: limit number of parking spaces a single parklet may occupy; DBBA pointed to examples where some parklets occupy multiple spaces while others use only one.
- Increase permit fees and economic accountability: DBBA argued that the city’s current fees do not reflect the value of public parking being used, and said fees should be raised and reinvested into downtown amenities (e.g., public restrooms, beautification).

DBBA said parklet owners had made investments and that the group appreciated that, but the board concluded the program in its current form does not serve the entire district equitably. DBBA urged the council to work with downtown stakeholders to redesign the program and to consider seasonal and design limits that reflect the needs of businesses and residents.

What council heard
Council members asked clarifying questions about how businesses that currently operate parklets perceived the program. DBBA representatives said some parklet owners reported increases in business and improved customer experience in summer months, but the board’s survey of downtown businesses showed a majority believe the parklets reduce nearby parking and negatively affect some businesses. Councilors asked staff to return with the survey results and to coordinate next steps with DBBA and other stakeholders.

Speakers
- Rachel O’Rourke — Executive Director, Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA)
- Cyrus Mooney — Business advocate, City Manager’s Office (DBBA staff liaison)

Transcript evidence
- DBBA presentation opening: \"Good evening, city council... Cyrus Mooney, business advocate... accompanied by Rachel O'Rourke...\" (transcript block starting 5725.8447)
- Survey results summary: \"The community survey... we had over 1,500 responses... 40% said they'd like to remove to create more parking...\" (transcript block starting 6111.8604)

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Article not found

Bend urban renewal agency advances three housing projects, pauses broader housing applications

Council and staff split on Franklin Corridor costs as geobond funds steer Midtown Crossing work

Downtown Bend Business Association urges seasonal limits, fees and standards for parklets after surveys