Central Bend business owners reject economic improvement district

July 16, 2026 - 20:20

The city of Bend has officially abandoned plans to establish an economic improvement district for the area east of downtown, following a decisive lack of support from local property owners. The proposed district, which would have covered the Central Bend neighborhood, required a super-majority of property owners to sign on in favor. That threshold was not met, effectively killing the initiative.

City officials had pitched the economic improvement district as a way to fund enhanced services like street cleaning, landscaping, and marketing for the commercial corridor. Property owners within the proposed boundaries would have been assessed a special fee to cover these costs. However, many business owners pushed back, citing concerns over additional taxes and a lack of control over how the money would be spent.

The opposition was organized and vocal. Several owners argued that the city should fund basic maintenance through existing budgets rather than creating a new layer of bureaucracy. Others worried that the fee structure would disproportionately hurt smaller, independent shops already struggling with rising rents and inflation.

With the required support falling short, the city confirmed it will not move forward with the district. This leaves the future of improvements in the area uncertain. Some property owners say they will continue to work on voluntary cleanup and safety efforts, but without a formal funding mechanism, large-scale upgrades are unlikely in the near term. The city has not announced any alternative plans to address the neighborhood's needs.