Workshops seek public’s vision for OSU-Cascades campus

The new OSU-Cascades campus will open this fall on Bend’s Westside. The school and Bend 2030 want the community to play an active part in what comes next.

“There are a lot of unanswered questions about how many students should live on campus. What should we put in that (former pumice) pit? Should this be a smaller campus, or should we expand it to include the old Deschutes County landfill site?” said Erin Foote Marlowe, Bend 2030’s executive director.

The group is partnering with the university and asking the community to help answer those questions.

“Envision OSU Cascades” is a series of four workshops where the public can see preliminary plans, ask questions and voice concerns. The first was held Wednesday evening at Riverbend Brewing in northeast Bend

Community member Irene Gillette shared her concerned version:

“I think the biggest one is the traffic. I’ve counted 100 cars in five minutes on Century Drive in front of my apartment,” she said.

The added traffic has been a concern for many since the beginning of the project.

Foote Marlowe said the group wants the public’s insight and ideas.

“Everyone in our community has a stake in the development of this campus,” she said.

Future workshops will take place Thursday evening at Broken Top Bottle Shop, April 20 at La Rose in Brookswood Plaza and April 21 at Kelly D’s Irish Pub, all from 5-7:30 p.m.

Input from the workshops will be shared with the university later this spring. For more information, visit www.bend2030.org.