(Photo above: Market of Choice by CBN)
Variety of Projects Emerging Across Broad Swathe of City Sectors
Cranes dotting the skyline and the steady drumbeat of construction equipment bear witness to a new raft of commercial building projects emerging in Bend as the once lagging economy kicks back into high gear.
The south end of the city has been somewhat later than other quadrants to pick up steam, but is now ramping up, led by senior housing and medical ventures in the wake of major infrastructure investment in the area including the Murphy Road crossing and sewer interceptor installation.
ST. CHARLES MEDICAL GROUP
St. Charles Medical Group satellite primary care and family care clinics will be the anchor tenants of a new 18,500 square foot health care building being constructed on the northwest corner of Third Street and Badger Road near Wal-Mart in southeast Bend.
The project is owned by Taylor Thomas LLC with general contracting work being undertaken by Taylor Northwest, LLC, and once open, the clinic will house nine family physicians as well as onsite laboratory, x-ray and rehabilitation services.
The primary care clinic will be open for extended hours every day of the week and walk-in patients will be welcome.
“The south end of Bend is experiencing tremendous growth,” observed John Weinsheim, chief operating officer of St. Charles Medical Group. “This new clinic fills an unmet need for health care services in our community and helps us meet our longer-term goal of improving access to primary care throughout Central Oregon.”
Construction of the first phase building which will house a physical therapy wing is expected to be complete towards the end of the year, and the primary care building is one of three structures that will form part of a medical center south campus with overall project costs expected to total more than $14 million.
St. Charles Medical Group is the physician arm of the St. Charles Health System which owns hospitals in Bend, Redmond and Madras as well as undertaking a new 62,000-square-foot hospital and campus in Prineville.
MOUNT BACHELOR ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY
Across the highway from the medical-centered project, Mount Bachelor Assisted Living Facility & Memory Care is expanding its facility off Powers Road with a 72,000 square foot, three-story, wood framed construction consisting of 76 assisted living apartments and 24 memory care apartments designed by Steele Associates Architects.
The nearly complete addition, which more than doubles the existing 29,000 facility, will also incorporate common area facilities including theater/chapel, fitness room, crafts room and laundry facilities, and is being built by general contractor SunWest Builders. Estimated cost of construction is over $10 million
Executive Director of Mt. Bachelor Memory Care Mallory DaCosta said the design of the interior and exterior elements will feature many connections with local businesses and artists in an effort to incorporate the city’s culture into the concept.
Frontier Management LLC, Mt. Bachelor Memory Care’s parent company, operates other senior facilities in Bend including Aspen Ridge Memory Care and Aspen Ridge Retirement Community.
CRANE SHED COMMONS
On the west side of town, Crane Shed Commons – a 50,000 square foot four-story flexible office and creative space in the Old Mill District – is going vertical with construction in an effort to fill a perceived need for Class A commercial space in the area, and will be one of the first large speculative office buildings to be built in several years after economic headwinds saw investors reluctant to dip their toes into that market until demand and rental rates reached feasible levels.
A spokesperson for TVA Architects of Portland said large glass windows throughout the building will capitalize on stunning views of the Deschutes River, Cascade Mountains, and downtown area, and the design will be inspired by the industrial character prominent throughout the neighborhood, with the building’s façade consisting of concrete, brick, and both smooth and ribbed metal accent panels.
Other features include a third floor rooftop deck, common indoor bike parking and adjacent shower/locker facilities.
Other construction projects have gained traction in the surrounding area including renovations at Old Mill Marketplace, the construction of planned urban modern home community Base Camp Base Camp the Market of Choice grocery store to the north and a new a Springhill Suites by Marriott underway adjacent to the Crane Shed Commons site.
Economic development staff say that with Bend vacancy rates so low, new commercial real estate development is critical to the growth of our economy. Crane Shed Commons will be a welcome addition for its added space as well as the benefits in the form of short term construction related jobs. The state-of-the-art project will provide an exceptional opportunity for ongoing business operations.
Leasing agents for Crane Shed Commons, being built by general contractor Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company, are Erich Schultz, SIOR and Jay Lyons, CCIM with Compass Commercial Real Estate Services.
“Construction of this project can’t come soon enough,” said Schultz. “Today, the office vacancy rate in Bend is just 9 percent and dropping, with only a few spaces available in Bend that can accommodate tenants needing over 5,000 square feet.
“When Crane Shed Commons comes on line in 2017, the Bend office market will be even tighter.”
Other commercial projects currently in the works include a new commercial building in the hub of NorthWest Crossing. The two-story Trend Building off Mt Washington Drive is designed to accommodate professional offices, a restaurant and other food-service tenants, said developer Sace Inc. with operators of downtown’s Drake Restaurant being one of the first on board with a dining concept.
Bend-based Architect Darren Thomas said the building featured a northwest contemporary style, with wood, steel, glass and heavy timber, as well as full-length glass walls, an outdoor terrace and Cascade Mountain views.
On the retail front, the two short-lived Haggen grocery stores on the north and south ends of Highway 97/Third Street in Bend will be converted back to Albertsons locations in mid-June, while a proliferation of new apartment projects include a 208-unit complex described as “high-end, professionally-managed” being constructed by Seattle development firm Evergreen Housing on Linnea Drive at the base of Pilot Butte.
