Up Up and Away - new direct flights to Phoenix, regional airport makeover
Bend and Central Oregon will be connected by direct air service to another major destination beginning in June with the start of daily nonstop flights to Sky Harbor International in Phoenix.
The service will initially use the airline’s regional jets, a 67-passenger Bombardier CRJ-700, with daily departures at 12:01 to arrive in Phoenix at 2:20 pm and returns daily from Phoenix at 8:15 pm with arrival in Redmond at 10:20 pm.
As with other flights from the Redmond’s Roberts Field regional airport, the Phoenix service is made possible in part with a $500,000 federal Department of Transportation grant to smaller national airports, to be matched by $100,000 in funds from businesses and other sources in Central Oregon.
The new service will follow a planned runway resurfacing at Roberts Field that will require shutting down all service from May 2-22. The closure is necessary because of the airport’s X-configured intersecting runways and has been planned well in advance as part of regular maintenance.
The new Phoenix flights join direct flights by other carriers to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Salt Lake City as well as Portland the Seattle in the Northwest.
Prestigious award for Bend’s Oxford Hotel
Downtown Bend’s Oxford Hotel is keeping prestigious company with other hotels in the country named in the top 25 Traveler’s Choice awards of online travel company Tripadvisor.
The Oxford joins such well-know properties as The Sherry-Netherland in New York City; Bardessono, Yountville, CA; Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford, CA; Tivoli Lodge, Vail; and Inn at the Market, Seattle.
Among travelers’ favorable comments in 778 reviews posted to Tripadvisor were such features as deep soaking tubs, complimentary bicycles, valet service, garage self parking, steam showrs and French press coffee in rooms.
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| The Oxford Hotel right looking down Minnesota Ave |
As one guest commented, “We stayed....during a cycling trip through Central Oregon. We had expectations of a nice, upscale hotel in a lovely town. What we got was far more. Besides the fact that the property is beautiful, the rooms are great the the location is ideal...what really shone most brightly was the incredible staff...”
The Tripadvisor award follows the Oxford’s honor as the No. 1 hotel in the Pacific Northwest by Conde Nast Traveler.
Hotel boom mirrors Bend economic growth
The past two years have seen a boom in new hotels either planned, under construction or opened in Bend.
These include:
· My Place opened in winter of 2016 at SW Bond Street east of the Old Mill District, a project of a South Dakota group.
· Hampton Inn and Suites opened in Fall of 2015 above the Old Mill District south parking lot adjacent to Les Schwab Amphitheater.
· Mariott Springhill Suites planned for the site of the former Brooks-Scanlon logging company crane shed off Industrial Way near the Old Mill District
· A plan for hotel operated by InnSight Hotel Management Group near Pioneer Park north of downtown Bend.
· Peppertree Hospitality group’s plan for a hotel at the roundabout of SW Mt. Washington Drive and SW Century drive, with potentially 120 rooms.
Prineville continues growth as data center hub
With major facilities already completed for Facebook and Apple another data center could be in the planning stages in Prineville.
Legacy Ranches LLC, a Chicago based company, has closed on 1,424 acres adjacent to the Prineville airport and is asking the city to annex 160 of those acres, a move that would change the zoning from agriculture to industrial.
Legacy also owns land formerly plannned from the Remington Ranch golf resort between Prineville and Redmond. The bankrupt project was purchased in foreclosure from Columbia Bank for $2.5 million after the resort’s fortunes plummeted with the real estate crash of the past decade.
Thus far the company’s representatives have not said a data center is planned but Crook County and Prineville officials have noted it would be an appropriate location.
Major mixed use project with Fred Meyer on the way
A prime block of land along Bend’s inside Bend’s northwest perimeter could be the site for a new project that would include the city’s second Fred Meyer retailer, multi-family residential and a hotel.
The 51-acre site is north of the Cascade Village Shoppintg Center on Hwy 20 between Robal Lane and Cooley Road.
The potential developer is Powell Development of Kirkland, WA, whose portfolio has included previous projects for Fred Meyer as well as Costco, Walgreens, Albertson’s, Target and Lowe’s in the Northwest.
According to the company’s website biography it has developed more than 60 properties in the Northwest and Utah since founded in 1989 by Lloyd and Peter Powell.
One issue that the development would face is the need for an additional street access from Highway 20. Also involved would be changes to Bend’s transportation plan and a rezone.
A formal application to the city’s planning commission is anticipated to be filed in March.
Environmental group drops appeal to Tree Farm residential project
The proposed 533-acre Tree Farm residential community planned just outside Bend’s western boundary no longer faces an appeal to Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals by Central Oregon LandWatch.
The group, which often challenges projects based on environmental and other land use issues, announced in early February that it had dropped an appeal based on potential fire risk and wildlife habitat issues.
The Tree Farm is planned to have 50 homesites laid out to leave maximum open space with trails that will be open to the public for access to adjacent Forest Service land. Access will be from Skyliners Road.
Developers include the Miller Family, longtime operators of Miller Lumber, along with Brooks Resources, developer of Northwest Crossing, Awbrey Butte and North Rim, and other investors.
