 Downtown Bend First Friday Art Walk has gone Green!
Let's face it - we all love our planet, so let's take care of it! By purchasing an Art Walk cup for $5, you can help Downtown Bend reduce the amount of single use cups that used and sent to the landfill every month. These cups are reusable every month! The Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA) extends a huge "THANK YOU" to Patagonia Bend for spearheading this project. "It wonderful when we can all work together to create a better Bend!" says Mindy Aisling, Executive Director of the Downtown Bend Business Association, "We love it when our businesses bring us great ideas like this one!" Patagonia’s mission statement says it best, “we’re in business to save our home planet”. Through their efforts to reduce waste during the Bend Artwalk, they hope to encourage participants to take further action for our planet. As a community of forward thinkers and environmental activists, the DBBA, Patagonia and other participating businesses hope that this action can spread to other events in the community. We are asking you, Bend, to help reduce waste in our community! Pick up your Art Walk cup at one of the following locations:
If you're a Downtown Bend business and you'd like to sell these amazing Art Walk cups, contact us.
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The Doubletree Hotel sits on the edge of the Downtown Bend Economic Improvement District (EID), providing Bend visitors with excellent hospitality and a front door that leads right into the heart of Bend, our downtown. This access is provided by a long staircase from the Doubletree property to Lava Rd. This year, the Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA) and the Doubletree Hotel brought the condition of this staircase to the attention of the City of Bend, who owns the property.
The City of Bend quickly responded and they were able to complete the project before winter set it. The Downtown Bend Business Association and the Doubletree Hotel would like to extend their appreciation to the City of Bend for helping visitors access the Downtown Bend boutiques, spas and restaurants owned by local Bend families!  BendTel is a locally owned and operated telecommunications company with a mission to provide Central Oregon customers with the highest quality communication services at affordable prices. They are a full service, facilities based, Competitive Local Exchange Company (CLEC), that has been focused on providing voice, long distance, data, Gigabit Internet and hosting services to businesses in the Central Oregon area since 2003.  BendTel is constantly working on expanding their Gigabit Fiber Internet footprint throughout downtown and adjacent areas. Their use of Gigabit Bandwidth Internet and the latest cutting-edge technology recently earned them an award at the 2019 Oregon Connections Telecommunications conference. They were awarded for their “Excellence in Telecommunications Projects and Regional/Local Strategies” for developing and implanting innovative projects that provide better access, reliability and affordability to telecommunication services. BendTel is also the official sponsor of the annual Downtown Bend Celebration Night that happens every May and the WiFi sponsor of Bend Oktoberfest. Both of these events are fundraisers for the local nonprofit, The Downtown Bend Business Association. BendTel is a key asset to the health and vitality of Downtown Bend – and it’s not just about the direct services they provide. Because of BendTel’s support for Downtown Bend, we are able to have things like flower baskets and Holiday decorations!  Right now, BendTel is offering an exclusive deal for DBBA Members! This offer includes a Sangoma IP Phone –featuring Voicemail to Email & Find Me/Follow Me, gFiber Internet (50x10Mbps) with reliable service and guaranteed speeds on their multi-gigabit capable gFiber network and bHosted Managed Voice – backed by their local support team. Plus, when you sign up, you’ll get the first month for free!
Call BendTel today, and join the DBBA/BendTel Team! You’ll be glad that you did. The Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA) is a small nonprofit dedicated to increasing the vitality of Downtown Bend. In addition to our other services, we are the 100% responsible for the cleanliness and beautification of the Downtown Bend economic improvement district (EID).  Our scope of work includes, but is not limited to:
We would like to extend a huge “Thank you!” to our staff, board, volunteers, donors and community partners for helping us keep Downtown Bend beautiful! By being committed to positive communication, community support, and a shared love for Downtown Bend, we can continue to keep our Downtown vibrant and thriving!
We are excited about several new Downtown Bend beautification projects we have coming up, stay posted to learn about all the great stuff that we have in store for Downtown Bend!  The Downtown Bend Parking Advisory Committee (DPAC) has announced a partnership with Deschutes County and the City of Bend to provide access to free public parking at the Deschutes County Administration building parking lots on weekends and during special events. The Deschutes County Administration building parking lots, located between Wall Street, Lafayette Ave and Olney Ave, contain as many parking stalls as the Downtown Bend parking garage on Lava Rd and Oregon Ave. DPAC anticipates that utilizing these parking lots at the Deschutes County Administration building, during the busy summer tourist and special event season, will allow more people to easily access Downtown Bend. The parking lots will be available from Friday evening after 6pm to Sunday night. “Downtown Bend is one of the greatest assets of our City, and currently we are seeing parking reach capacity during our popular events and attractions”, says Aisling, Executive Director for the Downtown Bend Business Association, “This partnership will allow more people to experience our vibrant Downtown with ease.”  The Deschutes County parking lots are only 3 blocks from the core of Downtown Bend, with well-lit sidewalks on both sides of the road, making it easily walk-able to and from Downtown Bend. For those who would rather catch a ride or require mobility assistance, DPAC has partnered with Ride Bend, a free shuttle service that operates 12pm to 8pm daily July 1st through Labor Day. Ride Bend operates a ten-passenger shuttle van that riders can request on demand using the new Ride Bend app.
“Commute Options is excited to add a new park and walk option for folks to easily attend exciting happenings in Downtown Bend." said Kim Curley, with Commute Options and member of the DPAC, "Carpoolers can access free parking off the Bend Parkway and Wall Street and take an enjoyable walk to downtown. Ride Bend adds additional accessibility for families and individuals with disabilities.” The DPAC was created based on the goals outlined in the Downtown Strategic Parking Management Plan adopted by Bend City Council on June 7th, 2017. The committee is responsible for outlining, advocating, and initiating decisions that will improve and maintain a vital transportation system for the City of Bend, and create a model that can be used city-wide for the betterment of the entire community. Scott Douglass, CEO of Cascade Relays and member of the DPAC, said “Parking demands are at their highest during our busy tourist season and especially during special events. Through this partnership with Deschutes County, we are providing convenient free parking to the public within a few blocks of Downtown Bend.” Additional Information
 We are proud to report that there are several areas of alignment between the 2019-21 Downtown Bend Business Association's Goals and the 2019-21 Council Goals and Strategies. One of these aligned goals is to address livability crimes in the Downtown area. A key step in this effort is increased patrols in the Downtown Economic Improvement District (EID) with Bend Police School Resource Officers during the busy summer season. Earlier this week Bend Police Department officers, City of Bend staff, and the Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA) took a walk through the Downtown Bend EID. You can expect to see these increased patrols within the EID in the coming week.  A common question we hear from business and building owners in Downtown Bend is when to report a crime, especially if it’s already happened or no one was there to witness it. Bend PD tracks crime data and has a team of officers that focuses on trouble spots. Even after the fact, you can log crime issues via the Police Department’s non-emergency number at 541-693-6911 or online by clicking here. Of course, if a crime is still in progress or there’s an emergency, please call 911!  "The Downtown Bend Business Association's number one priority is to assure the people feel safe and welcomed in Downtown Bend." says Aisling, Executive Director of the DBBA, "This year we were proud to be instrumental in getting the Downtown Bend Police Substation established, and this summer, in addition to working with the City of Bend, Bend Police Department, and Security Pros, we are also piloting our new Downtown Ambassador program. We anticipate great results, and we are grateful to be able to provide our community and visitors with an outstanding experience in Downtown Bend."
Downtown Bend remains year after year the number one tourist destination in Bend, it is also currently the largest employer in Bend, as well as the City's civic center and cultural core. With thousands upon thousands of people utilizing Downtown on a daily basis, providing a safe and welcoming culture is key to the vitality of our city. 
BEND CULTURAL TOURISM FUND Grant Applications Due April 12, 2019 The Bend Cultural Tourism Commission announces the fifth year of the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund with the opening of its on-line grant application for Cultural Tourism grants. The complete application is due April 12, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. Guidelines and instructions for both are available at https://www.visitbend.com/about-us/bend-cultural-tourism-fund/ The Commission will make its awards in May 2019, and anticipates over $200,000 in grant awards. In 2018, the fund awarded a total of $205,000 helping local organizations leverage marketing resources to attract more cultural tourists during the shoulder seasons and winter months – a time of year when the city’s tourism industry is down yet the vibrant cultural activities so central to Bend’s character are still going strong. The Bend Cultural Tourism Fund (BCTF) is a grant program dedicated to enhancing the local economy through the promotion and cultivation of Bend’s cultural tourism programs, with an emphasis on activities that help attract cultural tourists during the shoulder seasons and winter months. For more information, please see the website at https://www.visitbend.com/about-us/bend-cultural-tourism-fund/.  As I walked around Downtown Bend this morning checking on the icy conditions within the Downtown Economic Improvement District (EID), I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for all of the love-in-action I saw for our community. The City of Bend, Oregon had already sanded the streets of Downtown, multiple building and business owners were out making sure the sidewalks and alcoves of their stores were ready for customers. I arrived in my own office (predawn) to find my staff already out spreading ice-melt on all of the sidewalks in Downtown Bend. I am continuously proud of the work that the Downtown Bend Business Association does. From snow and ice removal to advocacy at City Council - and everything in between, it feels good to be part of an organization that is committed to the success of the community. This morning was a good example of just what makes our community so special. Regular, everyday citizens working together to insure our community is safe and ready for commerce. Written by Mindy Aisling, Executive Director, Downtown Bend Business Association
The Downtown Bend Business Association is pleased to announce Bend Premier Real Estate as the presenting sponsor of the annual Bend Oktoberfest, to be held on Sept 21st and 22nd.
Bend Premier Real Estate’s Lynnea Miller states, “We are extremely pleased and excited to be part of such a worthwhile event. Not only is it worthwhile, it’s a blast! The fact that Bend Oktoberfest fundraising provides so much for our Downtown makes it a really unique Bend event.” This annual Bend Oktoberfest is a traditional German harvest celebration of food, fun, and brews. The event spans two days with a Family Fun Zone, Live Music, Weiner Dog Races, Tricycle Races, outrageous games, face painting, contests, giveaways & more. 100% of the proceeds go to the Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA)- a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the vitality of Downtown Bend. Oktoberfest is the DBBA’s largest fundraiser of the year and it is produced by the DBBA to directly raise funds to help beautify Downtown Bend & stimulate its economy. To learn more about this event, visit www.bendoktoberfest.org About Bend Premier Real Estate Bend Premier Real Estate is the only company in Bend to have been selected to join Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, the most elite and largest luxury real estate network in the world. Brokerages with this distinction provide the highest level of customer service and demonstrated marketing excellence in luxury real estate. Through this alliance, our Luxury Properties are now featured on LuxuryRealEstate.com’s award-winning website, which attracts over 200 million potential buyers and more than 4 million page views in more than 190 countries each month with more than 12 billion dollars in active luxury real estate listings across the globe. Additionally, BPRE is now associated with the largest network of luxury real estate professionals with nearly 3900 offices and over 130,000 agents. To learn more about the Bend Premier Real Estate, visit: https://www.bendpremierrealestate.com/ About the DBBA The Downtown Bend Business Association is a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation. It is governed by a volunteer board of directors, composed of business and building owners in Downtown Bend.. Its board meets monthly and lends its expertise to the operations of the DBBA and the organization’s impact on the City of Bend. The DBBA’s mission is to increase the vitality of Downtown Bend. You can learn more about the DBBA at www.downtownbend.org.  Ride Bend Free Shuttle Ride Bend is back for another summer in Bend. The free shuttle had a successful first-year last summer. It’s now back with longer hours and a larger route.
The bus runs from noon until 10 pm every day until September 3rd. You can go from downtown to the Old Mill without worrying about driving or parking. “Shop, eat and play in Bend… leave the driving to us” says Cascades East Transit (CET). There was a launch on June 29th to highlight the beginning of the summer free shuttle. At the event was; Michelle Rhoads the CET manager, Sally Russel from the City of Bend, Kevney Dugan the CEO of Visit Bend, Katy Brooks the Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Mindy Aisling the Executive Director of Downtown Bend Business Association, Jeff Monson the Executive Director of Commute Options, Casey Bergh the Transportation Manager at OSU-Cascades, and Jordan Ohlde the RPTAC member and transit advocate. During the event, each person listed above spoke about the benefits Ride Bend brings to businesses, residents, and tourists throughout Bend. If you’re downtown, you can grab the shuttle at the corner of Franklin and Wall Street. From there, the shuttle will take you to the Old Mill District on Bluff Drive. The shuttle will then take some stops on the way to Century Drive near OSU-Cascades campus. This provides an easy way for people living on the west side of Bend to make it downtown. The last stop on the trip is on Galveston and 13th Street. The entire loop only takes fifteen minutes. |
Our thriving downtown is brought to you by the Downtown Bend Business AssociationOur mission is to improve the economic vitality by enhancing the experience, image and lifestyle of Downtown Bend.
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916 NW Wall Street in Downtown Bend, Oregon
Downtownbend@gmail.com 541-788-3628 |