Commercial construction projects in Redmond are now at an all-time high, despite the economic hardship, business shutdowns, and general uncertainties caused by the current global situation. Four major businesses in the city (including BASX Solutions, a multi-million dollar company) have either already completed or are undergoing facility expansions, according to Remond city officials. Even better, these welcomed expansion projects will end up bringing a number of new jobs to the city and therefore lowering the unemployment rate.
Construction projects on the rise
“Since the last recession that officially ended in 2009, 2010, we’ve had anywhere between two and five construction projects going on in the industrial side of Redmond,” says John Stark, the senior director at Redmond Economic Development Inc. “Today, you’ve got five-plus. […] Suffice to say, while other parts of our economy are hurting due to COVID, there are several parts of our economy that is really exploding right now with these company expansions,” Stark said. The reason for this promising construction boom throughout Redmond? Stark feels the strong demand for medical and manufacturing services this year is responsible.
A look at the expansion projects
BASX Solutions — a manufacturer of precision engineering products — recently announced the exciting expansion of their Redmond headquarters (at Southwest 21st Place). The 75,000-square-foot, high-bay manufacturing expansion project is expected to be completed in the coming months. A range of heavy construction equipment is being used to make the project as safe, quick and easy as possible. Vehicles like compact skid steers are multi-purpose, and can be used for a variety of construction tasks like digging, hauling materials, and sweeping the site. High-quality tracks for Bobcat are also an essential piece of equipment to ensure greater versatility and ease of use for any compact track loader.
Moreover, Medline ReNewal, a medical device reprocessing facility, is currently planning to double the size of its premises with an impressive 52,000+ square-foot expansion on Northeast Hemlock Avenue, while Central Oregon Medical Specialists is currently working on a 6,000 square-foot expansion on Northwest Larch Drive. Finally, SnoTemp Cold Storage, a family owned and operated temperature controlled public warehousing company, already completed its expansion project at Kingwood Avenue and Northeast 9th Street back in November 2019.
Better employment prospects
These four businesses are some of the biggest operating in Redmond, with employee numbers collectively totalling over 400. It’s thought these new expansions will result in anywhere between 15 and 100 new jobs. With an unemployment rate reaching nearly 16%, this boost to the economy can only be good news for Redmond. “Plus, these properties going in are additional tax revenue for our local jurisdictions and taxing districts,” Stark commented. While city officials were unable to provide a rough estimate of the tax revenue that’ll be generated by the four expansions, recent government figures demonstrate residential, commercial and industrial permit valuation now totals over $70 million — a 34% jump from last year.
Thanks to this exciting boom in construction, the future is certainly looking bright for Redmond. Major business expansions promise to help employment levels and get the economy back on track.
