THE DISTRICT
NOW
The Bend Central District (BCD) is in the very heart of our rapidly growing city and has enormous potential to provide more housing and jobs near existing businesses, services and activities that make up a livable community while protecting Central Oregon’s natural beauty from sprawl.
El Bend Central District (BCD), se encuentra en todo el corazón de nuestra ciudad que crece rápidamente. Tiene un enorme potencial para construir más viviendas y tener más trabajos cercanos a las empresas, los servicios y actividades que ya existen. Estos factores hacen que una comunidad tenga personas que vivan en ella, haya un crecimiento de población y al mismo tiempo se proteja la belleza natural del centro de Oregón.
The zoning has already been changed to allow apartments and four to six-story mixed-use buildings, but missing sidewalks, limited crosswalks, few trees, and insufficient lighting make the streets in the BCD unwelcoming and unsafe for customers, families, and potential residents.
La zonificación (o división en sectores que hace la ciudad, de acuerdo a los negocios, tipos de construcciones permitidas, etc.) ya se ha cambiado para permitir apartamentos y edificios de uso mixto, de cuatro a seis pisos; sin embargo la falta de aceras, insuficientes cruces peatonales, pocos árboles y la falta de iluminación, hacen que las calles del BCD sean poco acogedoras e inseguras para los clientes, las familias y los posibles residentes.
BCD Facts
196 acres
107 Residents
292 Employment Sites
2,593 Employees
FUTURE
In 2040, the Bend Central District could be a bustling neighborhood where people live, work, and play within walking distance of local businesses, grocery stores, parks, schools, Hawthorne Transit Station, and Historic Downtown Bend.
En el 2040, el Bend Central District, podría ser un barrio lleno de vida, donde la gente vive, trabaja y se divierte a poca distancia de los negocios locales, los supermercados, los parques, las escuelas, la estación del tránsito de buses de Hawthorne y el centro histórico de Bend.
The BCD Initiative is breaking down the barriers to achieving this vision while building community resilience and leadership to avoid the pitfalls of urban renewal.
La iniciativa BCD está derribando las barreras para lograr esta visión y está construyendo resiliencia y liderazgo en la comunidad para evitar las trampas de la renovación de la ciudad.
Urban Renewal
On August 5th, 2020, the Bend City Council created an urban renewal area around the Bend Central District (BCD) so that Tax Increment Financing (TIF) can be used to achieve the community’s goals for redeveloping the Core Area. With funding available through TIF and the newly passed Transportation Bond, the City’s next step will be to define what will be funded and how.
City of Bend website: https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/growth-management/coreareaimplementation
The people who know the most about the need for affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, and what the BCD needs to become a complete neighborhood are the people who live, work, and commute there. But they may not be tuned into this process, which is why LandWatch’s outreach and education through the BCD Initiative is so important.
Our goal is to get people excited about the vision for the BCD through efforts like #proyectomural, and advocate as a community for public investments that build community wealth instead of gentrification and displacement.
Our community impact analysis found that residents of the Bend Central District's census tract are twice as likely to live in poverty as residents throughout Bend. The BCD census tract also has three times as many Hispanic and/or Latinx residents than the City as a whole, and throughout Oregon, these communities are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
It is important to learn from the past as we are planning for the future, and that is why we proposed six equity and anti-displacement measures based on policy research and learnings from other communities to improve the plan. The majority of these suggestions were incorporated into the plan, and several were tagged for implementation in the next phases.
The BCD Initiative continues to form deep partnerships with the community and explore new models of urban revitalization in which the existing residents share in the wealth-building as the neighborhood becomes more desirable.
Neighborhood Identity
The BCD is a place for…
I am from dreamers, makers, entrepreneurs, risk-takers, hard workers using their hands and imagination, from where everyone has a mountain view and ponderosa pines stand tall.
I am from a place of nostalgia, comfort, joy, and passion, from people who live in the analog openly and authentically.
I am from a central crossroads where all walks of life meet, from an inclusive welcoming space where people sleep under bridges, in cars, and all types of sheltered spaces.
I am from busy streets filled with the smell of cars in traffic, tunnels, bridges, and crosswalks few and far between, from people waiting for busses and most passing through and not stopping.
I am from train horns, bottles clinking, the laughter of teenagers on their lunch break, and music on summer nights. I am from people on bikes and foot exploring, from kombucha, spirits, and a river just out of reach.
Soy del sonido del Español y del sabor de pan dulce, de los dulces picantes llenos de recuerdos del hogar que conectan a la próxima generación con un lugar nunca visto. (I am from the sound of Spanish and the taste of pan dulce, from sweet and spicy candy filled with memories of home connecting the next generation to a place never seen.)
I’m from metal, wood, industrial buildings that remain constant in an ever-changing city, from magical blue and gold time-traveling family movie nights.
I am from strip malls that are home to small business owners who know your name and story, from large parking lots ready to transform and tons of potential.
I am from elders who built the foundation of place and newer generations growing roots, from neighbors old and new who roll up their sleeves to make this place home.
I am from ceded lands with traditions connected to seasonal movement and sacred life-sustaining game, roots, and berries, from walking among you because we are still here.
I am from the Bend Central District.
The BCD is a place for Nature and Industry, Diversity, Makers, Connecting, Remaining
Photos by Hannah Turner
