(Photo above Ginny Kansas-Meszaros and John Gibson)
The torrid pace of activity seen in Bend is starting to spill over into southern Deschutes County. New businesses are opening, existing establishments are upgrading and more residents and visitors are finding their home. You may have seen the Sunriver TV commercials, the Sunriver Magazine, the Sunriver.Style.com website or the free Sunriver Navigator app as a mobile guide
The spirit of entrepreneurship is alive and well. Kent Elliott, executive director of the Sunriver Chamber of Commerce reports a 10 percent increase in membership in the last year. “Membership is 85 to 90 percent of the active businesses marketing in the 97707 zip code,” reports Elliott.
Sunriver Brewing Company opened a production facility in the Business Park bottling its award winning brews for sale in the state’s metropolitan areas.
The Sunriver Resort’s $50 million remodel over the next five years will transform its restaurants, tavern and lodge as well as include a new swimming pool and recreation facility, the Cove, and on top of that rebuilding the greens of the Meadows Golf Course.
The Sunriver Nature Center & Oregon Observatory is unveiling their plans for expanded facilities over the next five years including a new interpretive center, outdoor learning classroom, Lake Aspen viewing deck.
La Pine is seeing its share of investment and holds the county’s largest inventory of shovel-ready industrial land. Oregon’s newest city is renewing its efforts to bring in industry that could take advantage of direct rail access that would bring needed jobs to the area.
More residents are making Sunriver, Three Rivers and La Pine home. A big part of the increase is the lack of affordable housing in Bend and the desire of people to live on larger parcels in a more rural atmosphere. 2014 Census data shows LaPine (zip code 97739) with a population of 10,779, up 24 percent since 2000 and Sunriver and Three Rivers (zip code 97707) is home to 5,863, up 16 percent in the same period.
According to bestplaces.com, a family spent a median of $235,000 for a home in 2014 in Sunriver/Three Rivers and if one wanted to drive another 15 minutes south, the median house in La Pine could be had for $105,000.
Add to the affordability four accessible rivers, being 30 minutes from a dozen lakes and reservoirs and strong sense of community, more will continue to settle in Newberry Country.
But all this might not be possible without a strong tourism industry. Central Oregon Visitors Association, seeing a majority of the room tax revenue coming from Sunriver, moved its headquarters from downtown Bend to a new building in the refreshed Sunriver Village. Mark Halvorsen, owner of Village Properties reports strong bookings for the remainder of 2015 and projects an increase of housing nights over 2014.
A big development in Bend might positively impact future lodging in Sunriver and that is the vacation rental ordinance likely to be adopted by the city later this month. The limitations on new transient lodging in residential neighborhoods may push more vacation rentals to Sunriver and its 47 year history of being the Pacific Northwest’s premier holiday destination. The surrounding neighborhoods where second homes are a strong component are likely to see more visitors.
Whether one is looking to build a business or develop a lifestyle, the communities south of Bend are looking for a prosperous 2015.
Gibson Realty Inc
Main Office: 56825 Venture Ln Ste 104, Sunriver
John Gibson 541-593-5000
Ginny Kansas-Meszaros 541-977-2710
www.ginnyk.com
