Maker Mill workshop to close

The nonprofit High Desert Makers will close the Maker Mill community workshop, where the public could use tools to design and make things, Aug. 31.

An affiliated co-working space will continue to be operated by Cascade Divide Data Centers, which owns the Columbia Street building housing the workshop and co-working space, said High Desert Makers President Scot Brees.

The Maker Mill opened in February after several months of delays. “By the time it got up and running, the numbers no longer matched the original business plan,” Brees said. “That building doesn’t work for the community maker space.”

The workshop, which features a 22-foot ceiling height, hosted robotics clubs from Summit High School and Central Oregon Community College as well as the solar car team from Trinity Lutheran School. Brees said community partners are helping the student groups find new accommodations.

High Desert Makers is seeking a different space for the community workshop. In the meantime, the for-profit enterprise DIY Cave has offered Maker Mill members free access to its facility through the end of the year.

— Bulletin staff report