The Redmond Urban Renewal Agency announced that 17 new businesses in the retail/restaurant/service sectors have opened downtown since the beginning of 2022. The growth in startups also led to an increase in the occupancy rate, up from 88 percent in 2021 to a strong 94 percent in 2022. These new businesses contribute to the expanding offerings including clothing boutiques, food and drink, home furnishings, and others.
Tobias Colvin, Chair, Downtown Urban Renewal Advisory Committee says the activity in downtown continues to grow and that Urban Renewal is playing its role. “Many of the new businesses partnered with Urban Renewal for improvements to buildings that are adding value to the entire downtown,” Colvin adds. “We will continue to work with businesses awarding grant and loan resources to help make their investment in our community possible.”
The new businesses downtown include:
- Three new clothing boutiques are: Born To Be Wild (children’s clothing at 239 SW Sixth Street), Cares & Whoas (women’s and men’s western wear at 436 SW Sixth Street), and Desert Prairie Boutique (women’s clothing and furnishings at 404 SW Sixth Street-leased and soon to open).
- Food and drink options now include; The Annex (General Duffy’s new venue at 413 SW Glacier Avenue),
- Los Brothers (Mexican cuisine at 542 SW Sixth Street), and Shalom Coffee (239 SW Sixth Street).
- Businesses focused on health and fitness are Focus Dance Studio (239 SW Sixth Street), Jamie’s Sun Spa (tanning and spa services at 632 SW Sixth Street), and High Desert Vision (eye care on Fifth and Evergreen at 443 SW Evergreen Avenue-leased and soon to open).
- Home furnishings now found at Cascade Mattress & Furniture (224 SW Sixth Street) and Arome (kitchenware in the building at the arch 432 SW Sixth Street).
- Supplies for pets available at Local Paws (435 SW Evergreen Avenue).
- Real Estate companies downtown have additions of Cascade Sotheby’s Realty (535 SW Sixth Street) and Harcourt’s Real Estate (444 SW Sixth Street-leased and soon to open).
- Salon services can be now found at Nuage Salon (344 SW Seventh Street), Hail Hair Salon (354 SW Seventh Street), and Raw Aesthetics (339 SW Sixth Street).
The Redmond Urban Renewal Agency works to attract new businesses and investment to the Downtown as prescribed in the Downtown Urban Renewal Plan. Incentives are available to support new and existing business investment through grants and loans to help make projects a reality.
More information on incentives including grants and loans as well as the Redmond Urban Renewal Plan can be found at RedmondOregon.gov or by contacting Meghan Gassner, Urban Renewal Program Analyst, at 541-923-7759 or email Meghan.Gassner@RedmondOregon.gov.
*The occupancy rate is determined by an evaluation of approximately 100 ground floor commercial spaces in the downtown district as of November 14, 2022.
