REDMOND, OR -- Redmond officials are helping to rehab a local business many have considered a blight on the downtown core for a number of years. Community Development Director Heather Richards tells KBND News City Councilors are pleased with the new direction for the old property. "The Urban Renewal agency approved a loan to one of our property owners in the downtown area, at the corner of Glacier and Highway 97 – where Highways 126 and 97 intersect - it used to be an adult dancing club. The property owner is going to reposition that property into what we call a Commercial Kitchen Incubator."
Richards explains, "It’s actually a really interesting concept. It’s for those people interested in trying to get into commercial food products, but don’t have the capital to afford a commercial kitchen immediately. So, the developer builds it then rents it out by the hour. There’s three in Bend that are very successful with waiting lists; we have a lot of Redmond businesses that are driving to Bend to create their products, then bringing it back to Bend to sell. So, we think there’s a lot of opportunity there."