Bend’s north end could see new Fred Meyer, Costco in next few years

Meeting held with neighbors on plans for Highway 20 and Cooley Road

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A neighborhood meeting (by conference call) was held Thursday night on a major new development planned on Bend's north end that could bring both a new Costco and a long-planned Fred Meyer to the area, officials said.

The 52-acre property is southeast of Cooley Road and U.S. Highway 20. Powell Development said plans call for developing about 381,000 square feet on the property with two "large-format" stores, tentatively identified as Fred Meyer and Costco Wholesale, as well as two service stations and smaller retail buildings.

The developers would be required to take several steps to mitigate the traffic impacts in the already crowded area, including a new collector street between Highway 20 and Hunnell Road, as well as two new roundabouts on Highway 20, at Cooley and Robal roads.

Developers say the two companies feel they would benefit each other, with day-to-day shopping at Fred Meyer and "deep shopping" at Costco. The retail development wouldn't begin until 2022, after approvals and access and other issues are worked out.

Fred Meyer has sought a north Bend store in the area for some time, but work was delayed largely due to the need for more sewer capacity, a city project now under way, as well as the traffic issues that have ODOT and the city planning for a major eastward realignment of Highway 97, a northern extension of Third Street as a business route and an intersection upgrade, including a railroad overpass, at Highway 97 and Cooley Road.