Category: Oregon Business Magazine

Oregon Business Magazine

A Community Bailout

Tor Hanson

Originally published in Oregon Business Magazine, March 2001 DESCHUTES COUNTY – The Central Oregon business community had high hopes for the Deschutes County Fairgrounds and Expo Center when it was first proposed in 1996. Civic and business leaders lobbied aggressively for passage of a 20-year bond measure to fund the $31 million facility, arguing it would be a profitable venture bringing in thousands of visitors each year. So when word spread that the Fairground and Expo Center was awash in red ink, the business community was concerned. The Fairground Association, which managed the facility and bookings, was $462,000 in the … Continue reading A Community Bailout

Oregon Business Magazine

Putting the Brakes on Bend’s Traffic

Tor Hanson

Originally published in Oregon Business Magazine November 2000 It’s rush hour, and traffic is building along Wall Street, the main east-west thoroughfare in downtown Bend. Some 18,000 cars pass through the city’s narrow downtown streets each day, nearly a third of them during the afternoon rush. It’s a routine that’s frustrated area communters since Bend began to boom in the late 80s. Relief may be on the way, though, as transportation issues are dominating public debate. On Nov. 7, Bend voters will consider a $7 million, five-year transportation tax to help fund public transit, sidewalk construction, bike lanes and other … Continue reading Putting the Brakes on Bend’s Traffic