The hidden cost of construction.

Remember the term 'urban renewal?' The idea that government officials could tear down old homes and build shiny new apartment buildings. Which instantly turned into slums? Old neighborhoods torn down to make room for highways and office buildings? Turns out, wasn't so easy to replace neighborhoods with instant recipes.

Several times, lately, there have been ambitious proposals or plans announced by city officials to 'fix' 3rd Street and the 'corridor' into downtown Bend, the corners of Greenwood and Franklin. Because I have one store on the corner of Greenwood and had thought about having a store on the corner of Franklin, I paid attention to these proposals. And what is never mentioned is -- what happens to the people who are already there? Don't they count? After all, they were willing to take a chance, to open a business and try to make it work.

Several times over the last month or so, I've come to work and found the entire east block of Minnesota closed for construction trucks. This morning there was an article in the Bulletin about how the hotel is still a year away from completion. That means the restaurants and stores on the block have full year of construction noise and dust and trucks to look forward to.

That block hasn't stopped to take a breath in years. First the Masterson St. Claire building, then the old Mattress Factory building, then the Firestation, and then the parking garage. And now the hotel. There was a Teddy Bear store there for years, and in talking to the owner, I think she thought -- I thought, too -- that all the construction would end some day and she would benefit from all the new stores around her. But she's gone and the construction is still happening, with at least a year to go. I remember at one point that she had a big dirt pile in front of her store, and it seemed as though it was there for months.

Every time a new store has gone in across the street from us, we have to endure weeks of white panel trucks taking up the parking. A few days ago I had a huge truck, big enough to block the entire store, parked in front. Which means anyone walking across the street or down Bond wouldn't see us. I was there for hours -- and it didn't appear that anyone was using it. Finally, I went out and saw a 'special' parking permit from Diamond Parking on the dash.

Turns out it was a plumber who was working on the 'men's salon' (A MEN'S SALON?! Bend has changed) where Eddie's Canton (then Double Happiness) used to be. There are other empty storefronts across the street, and so I suppose I can look forward to more white panel trucks. Even more concerning to me is the long -term prospect that the owners, who are also the guys who tore down the building next to Deschutes Brewery and who own the St. Claire building might have bigger plans. I'm not sure I want to endure what the people on the east end of Minnesota have been enduring for the last 5 years or so.

The Treefort 'kid's urban store' (KID'S URBAN CLOTHING?! Bend has changed) is just getting worked on (after sitting empty for months). I can't see how they are going to be ready in time for Thanksgiving, and or ready for Christmas, but it appears that instead of doing the work in the relatively slow months of Sept.-Nov., they are going at it during the Holidays. It's like a Bizzaro world of retail where it apparently seems like a good idea to be closed during the Summer and Christmas, but hurry to be open for the desert months of Jan-June.

When is Bend going to settle in to being rather than becoming? I've been lucky so far in that most construction is just off the radar. Not by much, but enough to brunt the effect. But I wonder at what point it will enter my zone -- either my own building or the building across the street. And I need to really include that prospect in my plans.

Can't stop progress? That's great for everyone who comes in after the dust settles. Not so great for us who are choking on the dust fumes. Besides, when does the dust settle? I suppose it's better than having a moribund downtown like so many places. Maybe the trick is to keep trying to dodge the major construction if possible, and endure the major construction on other blocks.

NIMBY, I guess. But I don't underestimate the cost of construction on business sales. Everyone says, yeah, but it will be better when it's done. But as a business, that's like saying that island over there is much nicer; all you have to do is hold your breath for twenty minutes and you'll get there.