The Economic Engine: More Than Just Sawdust and Stress
If you’ve lived in Deschutes, Jefferson, or Crook counties for more than 15 minutes, you’ve likely noticed that construction is the region’s favorite spectator sport. However, beneath the layer of ubiquitous orange cones and the distinct aroma of fresh-cut 2x4s lies the bedrock of our regional economy. The construction industry doesn’t just build walls; it acts as a massive financial sprinkler system, distributing economic vitality across the high desert.
When a project breaks ground, it’s not just the developers who get to work. There is a complex, high-stakes relay race involving site engineers, electricians, and plumbers — most of whom fuel their workday with staggering amounts of local coffee. This activity creates a “multiplier effect” that keeps our small businesses humming. From the lumber yard owner who knows everyone’s name to the food truck operator serving “construction-grade” sandwiches, the building sector ensures that local dollars stay in local pockets.
But here’s the serious part: economic vitality is a house of cards if the people holding the cards can’t afford a house. When our “missing middle” — the teachers who educate our kids and the nurses who patch us up — are forced to live three towns over, the economic engine starts to knock. Stable housing is the literal foundation of a stable workforce, and without it, our small business ecosystem loses the very human capital that makes it tick.
The “Not-So-Secret” Sauce of Partnerships
We’ve all heard the campaign slogans about “affordable housing” until our ears ring. But in the world of professional development, the conversation is shifting toward the technical mechanics of Private-Public Partnerships, or PPPs — because an acronym always makes things feel more official. A standout example of this in our backyard is the Parkside Place by Hayden Homes development in Bend (Highway 20 East).
Think of Parkside Place as the “Model T” of collaborative housing: it’s a replicable blueprint for how developers and city hall can stop shaking fists and start shaking hands. This model isn’t about magic; it’s about math. By aligning the developer’s expertise with the city’s regulatory tools, they managed to build homes that real people can actually afford — without needing to win the lottery first.
The technical advantages of this collaborative model include:
- Administrative Speed-Dating: By aligning goals early, projects can skip the bureaucratic “limbo” and utilize streamlined permitting tracks that save massive amounts of time and money.
- Creative Math: Partnerships allow for things like System Development Charge (SDC) deferrals — which is essentially the city saying, “Pay us later so you can build now.”
- Price Tag Realism: Instead of building for speculative highs, these collaborations target price points based on what local workers actually earn.
This isn’t a private club for one developer. Whether you’re a boutique builder or a regional firm, this framework is open-source. It’s about distributing risk so that everyone — from the city planner to the first-time homebuyer — walks away with a win.
SB 100: Why We Can’t Just Build Everywhere
In Oregon, our land-use laws are treated with a level of reverence usually reserved for the last remaining parking spot at a crowded trailhead. Senate Bill 100 and the resulting Urban Growth Boundaries (UGBs) are designed to keep our forests looking like forests and our farms looking like farms. While this is great for our weekend hiking plans, it creates a bit of a “Tetris” challenge for builders trying to fit a growing population into a fixed amount of space.
To solve this without ruining the scenery, the industry is leaning into “managed growth” strategies. This is the technical way of saying we need to be smarter with the dirt we already have:
- Smart Infill: This is about finding the “missing teeth” in our neighborhoods and filling them with high-quality, higher-density residential units.
- The Variety Pack: We’re moving away from the “one-size-fits-all” single-family home toward cottage clusters, townhomes, and duplexes. It turns out, not everyone wants a giant lawn to mow on Saturdays.
- Infrastructure Teamwork: You can’t build a neighborhood if there aren’t pipes to bring in the water or roads to get the kids to school. Public-sector investment in these “bones” of the community is what allows the private sector to actually put the skin on the building.
Less Talk, More Chalk
The future of Central Oregon isn’t going to be decided by a 30-second campaign ad. It’s going to be decided at the intersection of private-sector grit and public-sector policy. By taking the knowledge gained from models like Parkside Place and applying it across the region, we can move past the repetitive rhetoric of “year after year.”
When we work together, we create more than just structures; we create stability for families and a future where our small businesses don’t just survive but thrive. Let’s keep the humor, lose the headaches, and get back to building a Central Oregon that has room for everyone.
