(Sisters artist Katie Daisy paints a mural in one of the Jackstraw stairwells, adding local color to the newly opened residential and retail complex | Photo by Leah Etling)
Bend’s skyline has a significant new addition with the opening of Jackstraw, a $172 million mixed-use community that combines multifamily housing and local and national retail at the crossroads of the Old Mill District and downtown. Developed by Killian Pacific, the project brings 313 long-term rental apartments and more than 17,000 square feet of ground-floor retail to a 4.9-acre site.
For Cassidy Bolger, Killian Pacific’s director of development, the project is a game changer for the downtown-proximate neighborhood, which is located between Market of Choice on NW Sisemore St. and the existing Box Factory retail space on SW Industrial Way, also owned by Killian Pacific.
“We really looked at this from the lens of how to build off what we’ve created with the Box Factory and enhance that sense of experience and community,” Bolger said during a recent pre-opening tour of the Jackstraw. “It’s not a long walk downtown, maybe ten or fifteen minutes, and ten minutes to Old Mill. We’re excited to create a place where residents and the city can come together and enjoy their community here.”
Jackstraw’s design, two joined residential towers rising from a two-story concrete podium, creates both density and openness. The building houses studios to three-bedroom apartments, along with two townhome units designed for in-home childcare, the first of their kind in Oregon. Inside, residents will find amenities like a fifth-floor lounge, state-of-the-art fitness center, coworking space, a dog run and wash space, and indoor-outdoor gathering areas.
Retail tenants are intended to meet the needs of future residents. Sisters Coffee Company anchors one corner, joined by The Way West, a new collaboration between Bend Brewing Co. and Sisters Smokehouse Meats, and a Drybar salon. Bolger said more local partnerships are in progress: “We try to get a nice mix of office, food and beverage, and retail, and we focus on local folks as much as we can.”
Killian Pacific’s development approach emphasized adaptive connectivity, such as the Jackstraw’s pedestrian-friendly Lava Pass (previously a well-used cut-through road between SW Industrial Way and NW Arizona Ave.). The corridor has been redesigned as a shared “living street” for bikes, cars, and pedestrians. Public art, native landscaping, and event-ready plazas make it feel more like a European-style walking street than a driveway.
On October 25 from 12-4pm, the space will host its grand opening, doubling as a community celebration. Dubbed Fall Fest at Lava Pass, the afternoon will feature music, family activities, and local vendors and is open to all. (Interested in attending? Learn more here.)
At 440,000 square feet, Jackstraw is one of the most ambitious residential projects ever built in Bend, but Bolger stressed that scale wasn’t the goal, longevity was. “We’re not a merchant-build developer,” he said. “We don’t create it to get out of it, we create it to keep it. That allows us to make longer-term decisions than you typically see in multifamily housing.”
Those decisions include sustainability measures that make Jackstraw the first LEED Platinum apartment building in Bend. The project is entirely electric, with no fossil-fuel systems, and was engineered to accommodate a future rooftop solar array. Landscaping is drought-tolerant, native plant focused and pollinator-friendly, and a resident beehive program will provide fresh honey to tenants.
“We wanted something that feels appropriate to its place, comfortable, fresh, and modern,” Bolger explained. “We build to hold, so quality matters. We’re proud that this will be the first apartment building in Bend to reach LEED Platinum status.”
The art program reflects similar care. From Christian Brown’s copper door handles, inspired by ancient Fort Rock sandals, to large-scale works by Pacific Northwest artists, nearly every common area showcases local creativity. “We worked to incorporate local artists throughout the project,” Bolger said, gesturing toward a woven tapestry hanging in the lobby.
Beyond its architectural statement, Jackstraw represents a major investment in Bend’s economy. Over two years of construction, more than 850 tradespeople logged 416,000 labor hours, including 100,000 by apprentices training in electrical, plumbing, and site work. Nearly 400 workers were on site during the project’s peak months.
Killian Pacific also coordinated with the City of Bend to improve public infrastructure, including extending Industrial Way and connecting Sisemore Street to Arizona Avenue. The enhanced stormwater system now meets 50-year event standards, improving watershed resilience for the surrounding area. The project contributed $6.7 million in development fees, supporting city services and utilities.
Living at Jackstraw
Move-ins began October 10, and Bolger expects a gradual lease-up over the coming year. With an average apartment size exceeding 800 square feet, the homes are larger than many comparable projects. “We were intentional in understanding Bend’s market and housing opportunities,” he said. “We made sure there are walk-in closets, good-sized bedrooms, places where you can fit a queen bed, a dresser, a desk.”
The development’s pet-friendly policy and amenities, including a dog wash, gear storage, and bike rooms, aim to serve Bend’s outdoor lifestyle. “Residents can be on the river trail in minutes,” Bolger noted.
From the fifth-floor “supper club” shared space and next-door community room for working and relaxing, residents will enjoy panoramic views of the Cascades at multiple points. “The top floors were arranged so both towers could see the mountains,” Bolger said, standing in front of an open air window to the west. “We wanted everyone to have that connection to Bend’s natural landscape.”
For Killian Pacific, Jackstraw continues the firm’s mission to blend development with community enrichment. Simply due to its walkable location, the project promises to be a gathering place.
“I think we go a little further in finding the right solutions,” Bolger noted. “We want a building that contributes to Bend, that lasts, and that people are proud of.”
