Redmond updates capital improvement plan
Redmond is working on plans for about $12 million worth of major capital improvement projects through 2019. The city updates its capital improvement fund priorities every year.
This fund helps the city coordinate all of its projects. For example, athecity would avoid paving a street if it were going to be torn up a few years later for a water line.
One project finishing up now is the east side sewer project, to provide improve sewer capacity to that part of the city.
Another project starting now is a major upgrade to on South Canal Boulevard.
Some areas with the greatest need involve steel water lines that need replacing or paving roads.
“A lot of this is staying ahead of the growth and being able to deliver water and able to move traffic,” City Engineer Mike Caccavano said Monday. “We just have a good community, with parks and good paths and accessibility.”
These updates will be presented to the city council Tuesday evening, and the council will have a say in the list of priorities.
On another note, Redmond’s Urban Renewal Plan calls for improvements in the medical district.
According to Economic Development and Urban Renewal Program Manager Chuck Arnold, the idea is to leverage funding to create jobs, make improvements on vacant lands and get taxable buildings in the district.
The Urban Renewal Agency is loaning the Central Oregon Medical Specialists’ Building $600,000 to expand from 9,000 to 15,000 square feet.
If the building stays occupied for a certain period of time, the loan is forgivable.
Arnold said the idea of this expansion is to provide a high level of service in Redmond.
“It’s really valuable to give more spaces to medical providers, Class A facilities, so people can get top-notch service right here in Redmond,” Arnold said. “It’s about building buildings that are of value to the community, that will help create jobs, have new medical equipment brought in to create a high level of service. It’s really all about the redevelopment and improvement of the medical area as a whole, as well as the urban renewal district.”
The overall project cost will be $14 million.
According to Arnold, they expect in the first year alone, about $1 million in economic development to come back to the community.
It still has to be approved by city councilors, who also serve as the Urban Renewal District board.
