Bend’s prime industrial site, North Brinson Business Park, was purchased from Jack and Ellen Brinson in 1997 by Jerry Freund and Kevin Spencer. Cleaning up the small farm was a challenge with years of interesting debris, but eventually the 105 acres in five years became North Brinson Business Park of the four phases and 88 lots.
According to Spencer (owner of Kevin Spencer Masonry and Empire Stone and Empire Construction and Development) the property was within Deschutes County at the time of purchase, but was annexed into the City of Bend to build the first phase of the industrial site. “Before we started we had two businesses that had no other options but to move to a new IL site: Pneu-con which is now Max Manufacturing (same owners) and Bend Tarp and Liner. Bend Tarp is now out of the park, but Max Manufacturing is still there in the 20,000 square foot building.”
When phase two started the challenge was that Empire had to cross the Northwest side as it was on the transportation plan for Bend. The alignment was to go down the section line and the topographic lay of the land did not allow that due to an elevation drop the was over collector standard. “So we moved the now Empire Street south and excavated a very large cut in the earth to do that,” explained Spencer.
“North Brinson always had a reason for the construction of a new phase. Phase one was Max Manufacturing, Bend Tarp and Liner and Springtime Irrigation. Phase two was the home of Jeriko Development, Kevin Spencer Masonry and Empire Stone, Bend Memorial Clinic office. Phase three was for the North Brinson Storage Center, Central Oregon Soccer Center and High Desert Beverage.”
Today there are about 120 businesses located within the busy business park ranging from several construction contractors like Alpine Glass, Sunset Plumbing, Wolcott Plumbing, Tim’s Quality Painting, Bell Hardware, Overhead Door and Kirby Nagelhout Construction Co. to medical offices for St. Charles and BMC and specialty businesses like Rage Films, Bend Party Store, Dancin Woofs, Central Oregon Gymnastics Academy and Cascade Indoor Sports.
Currently there are 14 lots not built on in the park. Two lots are currently in the planning stage by Empire Construction and Development. “The now rapid growth in Bend is for a market of small industrial users and there are not that many other locations available with the city,” added Spencer. “With the easy connections the Bend Parkway, North Brinson Business Park will always provide a great location for present buyers and renters.”
Kevin Spencer, Norton Ranch Homes, LLC, Kevin Spencer Masonry, Empire Construction and Development, LLC, 541-389-0070, www.nortonranchhomes.com, kspencer@ksstone.com, www.empirecon-dev.com
(Photo above: Springtime Landscape & Irrigation | by Cascade Business News Staff)
