Bend’s south Mirror Pond lot about to undergo upgrade

The city of Bend’s south Mirror Pond parking lot will undergo construction, starting this month, to improve deteriorating parking lot conditions and increase safety in the area, officials said Tuesday.

Construction of the project is expected to begin in mid-March and is scheduled to be completed June 5.

There will be minimal disruptions to traffic, city officials said. Night work is expected for only one night. Those accustomed to parking in this lot will need to use other parking options downtown. More information about downtown parking can be found at https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/economic-development/parking.

On 2016, the Bend Police Department along with the Economic Development Department began a “Problem-Oriented Policing” project downtown which identified needs in the south Mirror Pond parking lot.

A 2017 council-approved “Downtown Strategic Management Parking Plan” identified the south Mirror Pond parking lot as having high parking demand and recommended changes to the lot to improve its functionality, availability and safety.

With the south Mirror Pond parking lot redesign, the condition of the parking lot will improve with new curbs and asphalt, the overall safety will increase by addressing concerns at the trash enclosures, center landscape strip and west property boundary, and greater functionality will be achieved by accommodating internal circulation and meeting the city’s parking stall dimensions standards, officials said.