By Jason Boone
West-side real estate news and developments in Bend, Oregon, attract considerable attention, so much so that it can be easy to overlook what’s going on elsewhere in town. But prospective homeowners who want to enjoy so much of what makes Bend desirable — its lively downtown, easy access to the Deschutes River, shopping and dining in the Old Mill District — might be surprised to learn there are options on the east side of the city that in fact are closer to those attractions than many neighborhoods on the west side of Bend.
Consider, for example, a development just east of Southeast Third Street and north of Southeast Reed Market Road, where a Lake Oswego developer has built 24 rowhouses on a 2.2-acre rectangle of land. Featuring two stories and a loft, the homes in the Reed Market Rowhouses subdivision correspond with Bend’s goal of increased density within city limits.
Now that the repaving project on Reed Market Road is complete, access to one of Bend’s major east-west arterials is convenient from these homes on Southeast Leonel Lane.
Although separated from the Old Mill District by Southeast Third Street and the Bend Parkway, the Leonel Lane homes are closer to the shops and restaurants there, as well as to the acceesible section of the Deschutes River nearby, than many well-publicized west-side neighborhoods.
The Leonel Lane rowhouses average about 1,950 square feet and most commonly are 3-bedroom, 2½-bath homes. Among the amenities in the rowhouses are slab granite in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room. Stainless steel appliances and a center island highlight the kitchen. The rowhouses, which share a wall with an adjacent unit, feature two-car garages.
Prices are in the range of $300,000, compared with a median price in Bend of about $347,000.
For another close-in east-side area, the Bend City Council has approved a rezoning that would allow construction of hundreds of homes and a commercial district.
The site, two areas of land known as Wildflower Hills and Wildflower Glen, lies south of Southeast Wilson Avenue and east of Southeast 15th Street. The land proposed for development would skirt part of the Larkspur Trail, which runs in a general north-south direction and connects Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint to Larkspur Park, at 15th and Reed Market in southeast Bend.
The city in August accepted the Bend Planning Commission’s recommendation to change 26 acres in the Wildflower Master Plan Development from residential standard (RS) to residential medium (RM) density. The rezoning would allow 550 housing units. Plans also call for commercial development and open space in the area.
According to documents filed with the city, construction could begin in 2017. Should this development come to fruition, getting to the Old Mill District and downtown will be relatively simple via Wilson Avenue, across Third Street and over the parkway — easier navigation than from parts of the west side.
If you’re interested in learning more about real estate in Bend — regardless of the part of town — contact me at (541) 383-1426
, or visit Bend Property Search to connect with me through my website.