Bend Sustainability Fund tour highlights community upgrades, invites new applicants
Jillian Fortner
(Update: Comments from participants)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The application window opens Thursday for grants from the Bend Sustainability Fund, a Visit Bend project that has reinvested more than $3.3 million in lodging taxes into local community projects since its start in 2021.
On Wednesday, city leaders toured several grant recipients to see the impact first-hand.
“We wanted to create this sustainable river access site that shows that quality access and quality habitat can happen side by side,” said Ian Issacson, a landscape architect with the Bend Park and Recreation District.
The Miller’s Landing Access and Restoration Project was a past recipient. It is designed to make the river more accessible to people of all mobility levels.
““We wanted again to provide as many folks in the community, as many options as possible to get in and out of the river,” Issacson said. “So the dry ramp, the wet ramp and the roller launch are all just three different variations of giving people those options to get in and out of the water.”
The grant program also supported Dogwood at the Pine Shed, helping the business relocate and restore its historic building. The bar and lounge have become part of efforts to revitalize Bend’s Central District.
Zavier Borja, director of destination stewardship for Visit Bend, said, “The purpose of this tour is to help highlight a lot of those organizations that are leading and doing that work. And for us, playing our part in ensuring that we’re taking care of this place, you know, that we all love.”
Visit Bend says around $500,000 in grant funds will be available this year.
“So we may have an ask for $1 million, or an ask for $500,000. We have that discussion through the advisory council, to decide how much is given for each organization,” Borja explained.
Visit Bend is seeking projects built to last at least 10 years or longer. Projects should be shovel-ready, with plans to serve a large number of visitors.
The application window runs through January 16.