City of Bend launches yearlong 'Invest Bend' economic-development planning process

City of Bend staff outlined a yearlong economic development planning process called Invest Bend that will develop a 10-year strategy to “cultivate stable, long-lasting and equitable opportunities for upward economic mobility,” the project team told the Environmental Conservation Committee (ECC).

The plan will expand an earlier “investment strategy” into a broader economic development framework, integrating housing, workforce, climate resilience and other priorities. City staff said they expect to complete data analysis and stakeholder interviews over the summer, hold three focus-group sessions open to public input, and seek formal adoption by the City Council in December 2025.

“Invest Bend…is an economic development strategy for the next 10 years,” said Jonathan, a staff member presenting the plan to the ECC. He said the initiative aims to stabilize and diversify the local tax base, promote entrepreneurial and retail growth, and preserve the city’s historic character while strengthening…