(The exterior of The Grove, which officially opened on May 28 | Photo by Shawn Records)
Phase one of The Grove, a mixed-use commercial development in NorthWest Crossing that serves as a gathering place and artisanal food hub, officially opened its doors on May 28. Created by real estate developer project^, The Grove showcases a raft of independent, artisanal tenants within the development’s spacious Market Hall and retail plaza.
“We had a soft opening on Thursday, May 20 with just a couple of tenants. It was great to see the turnout. People in Bend are really ready to get out and enjoy the nice weather,” says Chris Jones, development manager of project^. Friday, May 28 was the official grand opening, and although Jones says the original plan was to have a big grand event, it was more subdued in consideration of the pandemic. “Three of eight tenants were open, serving food and drinks, and there was some music, but the event was not as grand as we originally thought it would be,” he explains. “The remaining tenants will open throughout the summer. There could be new tenants opening within a few weeks, and it will be that way throughout the summer. While we wish we had had them all open for grand opening, we think it will be fun to see how the flavor of the building changes, literally, as we add more and more restaurants to it.”
The three local and independent Central Oregon businesses that officially opened their doors on May 28 in The Grove’s 14,000-square-foot Market Hall are Waypoint, a brand new bar by Bend Brewing Company that is the Hall’s anchor establishment; Thump Coffee’s fourth Bend location; and locally sourced Elly’s Ice Cream. Also on May 28, in anticipation of their permanent opening at The Grove this fall, Italian-inspired eatery Sunny’s Carrello set up their food truck adjacent to the plaza.
The second wave of tenants, scheduled to open within the Market Hall and retail plaza in July, includes Left Coast Burger Company, ThAiPAS and GreenLeaf Juice. Sebastian’s Seafood & Specialty Market and Sunny’s Carrello are also scheduled to officially open this fall, further expanding the diverse lineup of tenants.
“We’re thrilled to officially welcome our new tenants and the broader community to The Grove,” says Jones. “We’ve had tremendous commercial interest in The Grove, in large part due to our sound ecological practices, our ability to accommodate evolving social and business requirements, as well as the building’s design-conscious aesthetic, which seamlessly connects The Grove to the Central Oregon environment.”
The Market Hall and retail plaza at The Grove feature an interplay of indoor and outdoor community and dining spaces that attune to the natural terrain of Central Oregon. Integrated floor-to-ceiling windows allow for a light-filled ambience and constant airflow, and social distancing is accommodated via walk-up windows at select food kiosks and dedicated parking spots for to-go orders. Features in the outdoor dining plaza include built-in counters, a bar area with covered patio and an outdoor fireplace and fire pit for the cool high desert evenings.
“The past year has reminded us of the need to bring joy to what surrounds us,” says Elly Sisney, owner of Elly’s Ice Cream. “As local residents of Northwest Crossing, we are delighted to bring a vibrant, fun and delicious offering to the local community, and we believe The Grove is the perfect destination for Elly’s Ice Cream, where people can return time and again with family and friends.”
Packy Deenihan, president of Bend Brewing Company, adds, “The Grove’s ambience provides the ideal mountain-modern interior for us, and the large sliding doors and gas fire pits on the surrounding patio lends our new space the perfect indoor-outdoor vibe.”
The Grove is also offering Assembly, which provides executive office space for lease in its commercial building with 15 suites ranging from 95-200 square feet. The units provide hard-walled, dedicated offices with shared conference rooms to comfortably facilitate remote workers and small teams. Also featured within the commercial building is anchor restaurant tenant Rancher Butcher Chef, which presents a modern take on the classic butcher shop and steak house.
“We still have a few available offices in Assembly,” says Jones. “We have a lot of strong interest in the ground-floor retail component in there. The spaces would be great for anyone from a small yoga studio to a tax advisor, and anyone in between. It’s just really a great space.”
Phase two of the 32,000-square-foot development at The Grove will feature The Quarters, a residential building designed to create a natural connection with the adjoining commercial space and central ground-floor plaza. The building will feature 32 condominiums for purchase in an array of one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 550-970 square feet. Groundbreaking is scheduled for August 2021, and the building is projected for completion by summer 2022. Deposits and reservations will be taken starting in August, and can be completed online at thequartersbend.com.
The Grove is a collaboration between project^, Portland-based architecture firm Hacker, SunWest Builders in Redmond and West Bend Property Company, the developers of NorthWest Crossing. This is the third development project^ has undertaken in Central Oregon, having completed Range, a Bend development of garden-style apartments that was completed in early 2018. Hacker and project^ also collaborated on Basecamp, a collective of 25 townhomes located in Bend’s Mill District.
With a core focus on energy efficiency and significantly reducing environmental impact, project^ incorporated a 50kW solar panel array as well as two onsite electric charging stations at The Grove. Additionally, project^ has partnered with Energy Trust of Oregon to align with its Path to Net Zero program, which has the objective of designing buildings that have the potential to create as much energy as they consume over the course of each year. Tenants at the market building can also participate in a pioneering beta test program for composting restaurant food waste.
“We are really excited to see all our friends and family out at The Grove this summer enjoying food and drink,” says Jones.
Leasing opportunities for The Grove and related inquiries should be directed to Jones at grove@projectpdx.com.
