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Bend central business group proposes EID to fund marketing, maintenance and a staff position
Summary
The Bend Central District Business Association proposed creating an Economic Improvement District (EID) for the Bend Central District that would assess commercial square footage (proposed 10¢) to fund marketing, beautification and a full-time staff member; staff said EID formation requires notification, remonstrance hearings and could be established by July 1 if council directs it in January.
The Bend Central District Business Association (BCDBA) told the Bend Development Advisory Board on a recent meeting that it is seeking a city-sanctioned Economic Improvement District to fund marketing, public-space maintenance and a dedicated staff position to support business recruitment and events.
Kurt Alexander, president of the BCDBA, said the association has been volunteer-run and lacks capacity to sustain current momentum. "We're all just volunteers," he said, arguing that a steady funding stream would allow the district to maintain public investments and expand events and marketing that draw foot traffic.
BCDBA representatives said state statute allows EIDs and that assessments would apply only to commercial square footage, not residential units. The group described a tentative proposal centered on a 10¢ per-square-foot assessment (they said that after a 5% city administrative deduction it would yield about $170,000 annually). BCDBA officials said the funds would be divided among three primary uses: marketing and events, beautification and placemaking, and one paid staff position to coordinate outreach, grants and property-owner engagement.
Leah Retz, of Open Space Event Studios and a BCDBA board member, said the association has engaged property owners and plans to prioritize stabilizing long-established, trades-based businesses in early phases. "I think that, in all transparency, I think we could do a better job communicating and getting what Miller Lumber is thinking," she said, responding to members questions about impacts on legacy businesses.
City staff briefed the board on the legal and administrative steps ahead: if the BDAB and council provide direction on scope, rate and boundary in January, staff would calculate rates, notify property owners and schedule required public hearings (including a remonstrance process). With favorable outcomes, staff said an EID could be in effect by the next fiscal year, July 1. The board discussed drafting a letter of support for the process to accompany the citys outreach.
Board members asked how the EID would interact with the citys urban renewal/TIF activity and whether long-standing businesses would be pushed out as the district grows. Presenters said the EID is intended to help maintain public investments made by urban renewal and to provide services the city would not typically deliver; they acknowledged the tension and said outreach to affected property owners will continue.
Next steps: BDAB was asked to provide direction to staff on the proposed scope, rate and boundary in January so staff can begin the formal notification and hearing process. The city will hold two public hearings and a remonstrance period before a final decision.
