more photosConstruction crews from Taylor Northwest work on an excavation project for a new water pipe under Sixth Street near Deschutes Avenue in downtown Redmond on Wednesday. Below, Ed Glaab, 51, of Bend, walks past a battered section of the sidewalk. The project is slated for completion by early July.
Photos by Andy Tullis / The Bulletin
High hopes for downtown Redmond revamp
Businesses: So far, owners doing better than they expected
By Jeff McDonald / The Bulletin
Published: May 14. 2009 4:00AM PSTREDMOND — The real test of this city’s reconstruction project in a two-block stretch of downtown will come after work is completed, but for now, shop owners say the decline in business has not been as bad as expected.
There has been dust and dirt, loud jackhammers and an almost complete lack of foot traffic downtown throughout the day in the two-block area of Sixth Street from Forest to Deschutes avenues, but shop owners hope the project will pay off after it’s completed in early July.
A city of Redmond program called “Construction Bucks” also has helped, merchants say. The program allows consumers to buy a Construction Buck for 70 cents, with the city covering the other 30 cents. The city has sold more than $92,000 in Construction Bucks to the public at net cost to the city of $27,600, according to Holly Howell, an assistant economic planner for Redmond.
The city’s portion of Construction Bucks, which can be spent at 65 downtown shops, is funded by property taxes resulting from growth in property values inside the city’s downtown urban renewal area.
The Construction Bucks, which have sold out, expire July 6, just days after the downtown project is expected to be completed, Howell wrote in an e-mail.
Mixed results
“The Construction Bucks saved (me),” said Ric Nowak, the owner of Country by Design Antiques, a business located at the corner of Sixth Street and Evergreen Avenue.
Nowak has received $3,000 worth of the city-issued currency from customers buying different items at his antique shop.
Sales are definitely down, though, for many businesses, particularly for shops and restaurants that do not have back-door entrance and parking, Nowak said.
“It is a tense time for everybody,” he said.
The Construction Bucks have had a minimal impact at Paulina Springs Books, but business has actually risen 7 percent since the project started compared with the first 12 days of April, said owner Brad Smith.
“Maybe we should have them tear up the streets more often,” Smith joked. “You can walk out there and not see a soul except construction workers, and then we will see a flurry of people at once.”
Short-term hassle, long-term payoff
Getting around downtown takes more effort and planning, said Ashuly Hoxie, 20, a customer care representative for T-Mobile.
“I have to set aside more time,” she said while visiting Santiago’s Mate Co. and Toucan Cafe, which share a space downtown. “I can’t come down during lunch because it is a maze to get out.”
Because the two-block area is closed to vehicle traffic, detours are routing vehicles onto side streets, where there is ample parking and a short walk to downtown.
Business has dropped off in the mornings and afternoons at the Toucan Cafe, which has reduced its operating hours in the afternoon in response to almost no business during that time.
“I think they are doing a great job,” Aren Booker, the owner and operator of the restaurant, said of the construction work outside his door.
Despite the noise, dirt and limited foot traffic, Booker says the work will pay off in the long run.
“I can see their progress every day,” he said. “It is fun to be already picturing the results. This will be over in a blink of an eye.”
Creating an identity
Downtown Redmond needed the construction project to create an identity, something that other Central Oregon cities like Bend and Sisters already have, said Larry Turner, principal broker and owner of Larry Turner Realty in Redmond.
Turner was meeting with clients downtown and surveying the scene with another broker.
“We need that here because it will bring people from Brasada Ranch and from Eagle Crest,” he said. “Getting these streets done will give downtown more energy and give people more reason to shop here.”
Jeff McDonald can be reached at 541-383-0323 or at jmcdonald@bendbulletin.com.
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