City of Bend to consider 2 NE Bend motels for converting into temporary transitional shelter

Process resumes a month after earlier motel purchase plan was scrubbed

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A month after the city of Bend called off plans to buy a Third Street motel to convert into a transitional shelter, city councilors Wednesday night agreed to begin the process again, this time considering two other northeast Bend motels, to see if one is suitable for a state-funded grant program.

After an earlier discussion in executive session, councilors unanimously approved a motion authorizing City Manager Eric King to enter into purchase and sale agreements for the Bend Value Inn on Division Street and the Rainbow Motel on Franklin Avenue, to see if either would be suitable to convert into a shelter under Project Turnkey, overseen by the Oregon Community Foundation.

Any final sale will need council approval – and with the state deadline for OCF to disperse the funds coming up on June 30, there’s little time to waste.

The city council in early April directed city staff to call off the purchase of the Old Mill & Suites on Third Street, after inspections deemed it unsuitable for the project, and to seek other motel options that meet the Project Turnkey criteria.

The Oregon Legislature allocated a total of $65 million for Project Turnkey, for the purpose of acquiring motels/hotels for use as non-congregate shelter for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

Late last month, the Bethlehem Inn, which operates a Bend shelter that first operated in a former motel, received a nearly $2.7 million project Turnkey Grant to convert the former Greenway Motel in Redmond.