January 15, 2019 – Wren and Wild announced today that it has relocated to 112 NW Minnesota Ave. A soft opening is scheduled for Friday, January 25h, as a private press party from 3-5 pm, then 5-9 for VIP Clients. Saturday and Sunday, the 26th and 27th, will be considered the official grand opening weekend, where specials and giveaways along with food and libations will be offered. 

​In the last several years, Wren and Wild has established themselves as the leading organization to provide clean beauty products. With over 20 years experience in the beauty industry, Mandy Butera created Wren and Wild after discovering how toxic conventional beauty has become. Her passion for natural products and nourishment from the inside out inspired her to create a green beauty store where you can experience your true self.

Rosa Shea, owner of Tangerine Hair Salon on Minnesota Ave in Downtown Bend, had a dream to be the best hair salon with the most incredible customer service.  With 38 four and five star reviews on Yelp, it looks like her dream is coming true.  Now, Rosa and her team are taking that vision to the next level with their recent remodel.  They have not only upgraded their space, but you'll find new products and services as well.  Call today to book an appointment, (541) 389-9090

In the current growth climate of Bend, Oregon you often hear cars and bikes pitched against each other.  When one person talks about parking and roads, the other side cries out about bikes and public transit.  The truth is that a healthy community has ALL of these things - safe bike/ped access throughout the City (especially in the Downtown district) abundant bike parking, a robust public transit system, forward-thinking development of roads and connectivity for cars, and adequate parking for residents and visitors.  

I think most people can agree that biking & public transit have a plethora of benefits.  It's healthy, it's better for the planet, it saves money, and it cuts down on congestion.  The DBBA diligently works to encourage Downtown employees to bike and carpool, actively works with Commute Options to explore new ways to educate and encourage people to use alternative modes of transportation, and advocates in their future Downtown vision for the development of bike/ped connections into Downtown, protected bike lanes, and increased bike parking.  The DBBA was an partner in bringing Zagster Bike Share and the Ride Bend bus to Downtown.  We love alternative modes of transportation!

Although we are passionate about biking and public transit, we also recognize the need to develop easy, effective road connections as well as adequate parking in the Downtown district.  Here are just a few cases where being able to drive and park in Downtown easily and safely is important:

The vision of the DBBA is to keep Downtown Bend an accessible and welcoming place for everyone, regardless of race, sex, religion, gender identity, age, social status, or mobility.  Downtown serves a unique and special role in our community.  It is the only shopping & arts district that is public. This allows it to fulfill a role in our community that no other place can.  Nationally, Downtowns serve as locations where communities come alive, where bonds among neighbors are strengthened and where a sense of belonging is fostered.  They are locations that spark economic development and drive entrepreneurial creativity. 

Currently there are 5,799 parking spaces in Downtown Bend, there are about 4,000 Downtown Bend employees, 94,520 Bend residents (reported by World Population Review), almost 20,000 visitors to Bend daily (reported by The Source in July 2016), we have upwards of 3,200 hotel rooms in Bend (reported by the Bulletin in Sept 2016), and in November of 2018 KTVZ reported that the High Desert population was growing by 20 people per day. 

At a recent meeting with ODOT, they reported that they expect the population to be 160,000 plus by 2040.  This is a 50% population increase in 20 years.  Currently, the Downtown Bend parking garage is frequently at capacity - especially during events or during busy shopping seasons (Art Walk, Christmas).  With the current population growth prediction, we can expect it to be outdated very soon.  We need to plan now for additional Downtown parking in the future.  

Parking is an important part of Downtown Bend's future success, and needs to be developed hand-in-hand with increased bike access & public transportation.  The City of Bend has done an amazing job addressing parking in Downtown Bend over this last year.  The candidate chosen as the Downtown Bend Parking Manager has worked effectively and quickly to appraise the situation, find 'quick-win' solutions, enroll teamwork from community partners, and implement new strategies.  Let's continue that good work by building a comprehensive plan for the future of transportation and parking in Downtown Bend. 

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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/. 

Last night during the City of Bend's City Council Goal Setting Work Session (video link here), City Council heard from a plethora of local community groups and neighborhood associations. The Downtown Bend Business Association was invited to talk about the needs of Downtown Bend business and building owners. 

The Downtown Bend Business Association (known as the DBBA or The Downtowners) spoke of the need to move people and products around Downtown Bend efficiently, safely and reliably.  This need aligns with City Council's 2017-2019 Goals & Objectives for the greater Bend community.  

Executive Director, Mindy Aisling, said that business and building owners within the Downtown Bend EID were concerned that they were closely approaching, or had already met, a cap on their customer count, and that they were concerned about how they could continue to grow their businesses without expanding and improving access to, and parking in, Downtown Bend.  Aisling reported that increased parking & accessibility was the DBBA's Board of Directors primary concern.  

The DBBA's written input to Council (see below) also mentions Safety & Hospitality and Future Planning and Budgeting as the top three areas of focus that the DBBA would like to witness in the near future.

​The DBBA's official, measurable, request to Council was to see the City's Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) reflect the needs of Downtown Bend businesses and visitors, including a plan to develop a future parking garage, and to have the Transportation System Plan acknowledge Downtown Bend's location as a centrally located transportation hub for all modes of travel.

After the meeting, Aisling made statements supporting many of the requests from local groups that Council had heard from, including the Bend Orchard District Neighborhood Association's request for bike and pedestrian connections from the East side into the BCD and Downtown areas.  "We are doing everything we can to support and increase the use of alternative transportation into and out of Downtown Bend - both for our visitors and for the 4,000 plus employees that work in Downtown."

Aisling also praised the City of Bend in her comments, "I am honored to work with City of Bend staff, every staff member that I have had the opportunity to work with has shown creative, intelligent thinking and a commitment to positive growth in our community."

For more information, or to become a part of the Downtown Bend conversation, email the DBBA at downtownbend@gmail.com.

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

Peterson Roth Gallery is a hidden Downtown Bend gem located on Oregon street in the basement below Silverado Jewelry Gallery. Peterson Roth is Bend's foremost contemporary Gallery, offering it's visitors a distinctive experience that can't be found anywhere else in Bend, Oregon.
Ken Roth, Gallery Director and Artist, has over 20 years of experience in the Bend art community. His unique perspective and unwavering passion nurtures an environment that is perpetually evolving.
Discover the gallery at 206 NW Oregon Ave and feast on the the unique collection of art you will find there.  As a local or a visitor to Bend, this is an experience you don't want to miss and January is the perfect time to drop in and say "Hi".

The importance of taking a time out and creating a nurtured lifestyle is the Bend way.  We believe in work-life balance.  We believe in ski days, coffee dates and afternoon adventures.  Dudley's Bookshop Cafe on Minnesota Ave in the heart of Downtown Bend in the perfect place to carve out an hour or two to browse the shelves for a new book and cozy-in to sit with a great cup of coffee.  With Dudley's friendly staff, relaxed environment, and comfortable couches, you'll leave feeling refreshed and balanced.  Visit Dudley's at 135 NW Minnesota.

Beginning today, parking improvements in downtown Bend will make parking easier, safer and more available for people looking for places to park.

Here are the five changes coming to downtown:

1. Enforcement times will be extended to 7pm to increase turnover for on-street parking and provide better access to businesses during evening hours in the busiest parts of downtown.

2. The ParkMobile app will be available as a quick, easy option for downtown patrons to pay for parking in the Mirror Pond Lots and Centennial Garage. ParkMobile will be the only way to pay for parking at the Greenwood/Wall Lot and Irving Street.

3. Parking permits will change from paper to virtual permits to make paying for and managing parking permits easier for downtown employees.

4. A four-hour time limit will go into effect for the Mirror Pond Lots to increase turnover and make more parking spaces available.

5. New parking rates will support better downtown parking management by encouraging people to park in the right places for the right amount of time, and respond to community expectations for parking availability, equity in opportunities for all downtown patrons, and the economic vitality of downtown.

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“We know these improvements might taking some getting used to,” said Drew Dietrich parking demand manager for the City. “We’re going to start off by focusing our efforts on education first. Then we’ll move into enforcement. Our goal is to help people going downtown make the best use of the limited number of parking stalls and have a better experience while doing it.”
For more information on downtown parking, visit www.bendoregon.gov/parking.
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Accommodation Information for People with Disabilities
To obtain this information in an alternate format such as Braille, large print, electronic formats, etc. please contact Joshua Romero at 541-693-2185 or jromero@bendoregon.gov.

The Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA) partners with local artist, photographer, Miguel Edwards
Downtown Bend is growing and so is the Downtown Bend Business Association. As part of this growth, the vision and branding for Downtown are transforming. The DBBA is excited to announce Miguel Edwards as the new Downtown Bend photographer. Edwards is helping the non-profit showcase the history, vibrancy, shops, restaurants, and services in Downtown Bend to a larger community.
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“We are incredibly lucky to live in a City with a thriving Downtown,” says Aisling, Executive Director of the DBBA, “Downtown Bend is the heart of our community – and it has been for over 100 years.  Photos that document and celebrate our history, culture, and vitality are a great asset for not only Downtown Bend but for our entire Bend community.”​

The decision to bring on Edwards comes from the request by Downtown Bend business and building owners. He has gained recognition recently from designing and building the cauldron for the Opening Ceremony of Special Olympics USA Games last summer in Seattle. The Cauldron “Hope Rising” will be featured at Oregon Winterfestin February. Miguel has worked with the Cities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Seattle, and Bellevue… to name a few. This December the book, Art in Seattle’s Public Spaces by Miguel Edwards and Jim Rupp with University of Washington Press hits the shelves (and Amazon). This month Edwards’ photograph is the cover image for Western Home Journal’s first Winter Book.

“I am thrilled to be spending time investing in the culture of Bend.” says Edwards, “Ever since I was in high school I wanted to live in a place like Bend.  To be asked to help grow and illustrate this wonderful place in its’ best light is really a great honor”

The DBBA is a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the vitality of Downtown Bend.  For more information,or to make a donation, please email downtownbend@gmail.com.
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For more information on Miguel Edwards:
​https://www.bendbulletin.com/entertainment/finearts/6339478-151/qa-with-artist-miguel-edwards
https://www.bendsource.com/bend/letters-to-the-editor/Content?oid=6260900
https://www.geekwire.com/2018/miguel-edwards/
http://www.migueledwards.com/
http://migueledwardsphotography.com/