The dirt lot across the street from Riverbend Park is perhaps best known as a place to park a car and inflate a raft or tube to launch into the nearby Deschutes River. In past summers, some have enjoyed watching outdoor films in the lot — drive-in theater style.

Those days appear to be over as the developer of the property — Brighton Old Mill LLC — has fenced off the land in preparation for the development of 42 townhomes.

Caleb Nickolaisen, a director with Idaho-based Brighton, says groundbreaking work is expected to start soon and the first units could be available by the summer of 2026.

Earshot of the Amphitheater

The development, located at the corner of Columbia Street and Shevlin Hixon Drive, is in a walkable part of Bend, a short distance from the Old Mill commercial district and ever-popular Riverbend Park, which in summer is chock-full with tourists and locals.

The 3.2 acre property is also within earshot of Hayden Homes Amphitheater. Nickolaisen says that could attract a certain set of prospective buyers who don’t mind the blaring of music and look forward to concert season in the Old Mill.

“We will have pretty good ratings on our walls to help mitigate some of that (noise),” said Nickolaisen. “That being said, we think that’s one of the draws to the site. Buyers will know the amphitheater is there, and it’s kind of a pro in our eyes that you are so close to that entertainment.”

“We imagine a very active, outgoing buyer will end up here that will kind of enjoy that scene,” he said.

Aaron Henson, a senior planner with the City of Bend, says the noise levels will be similar to those in homes already on the river’s east side near the Old Mill.

Market guided project

According to Deschutes County Dial, the property was originally owned by Old Mill developer William Smith Properties Inc before changing hands several times. The current owners, who paid $4.3 million for the land in 2021, pitched a plan to build a senior living complex for people 55 years old and up. Those plans were later scrapped in favor of townhomes.

The decision to change the project was “market guided,” said Nickolaisen. “We think this is a really good use that will be good for the site as well as enhance the rest of the development as well,” he said.

County documents from 2021 show that the Old Mill District owners were concerned that noise reverberation from the building would bounce back to the amphitheater due to its proposed height of five stories. The Old Mill was also concerned residents would complain about noise from the venue.

Under an agreement between Brighton and the Old Mill, anyone who leased a unit in the senior complex would have been required to sign an agreement that they would not file noise complaints to any regulatory authority.

Such a requirement won’t be needed under the newly planned development because residents will be owning their home rather than leasing. The reverberation concerns are mitigated because the units will be three stories instead of five.

‘Positive feedback’

Nickolaisen said most of the permits with the city for the development are finalized. Some infrastructure permits are still waiting for final approval. He said most feedback his firm has received has been positive.

“It has been a dirt lot for a while and I think people are excited to see it built out and grow into something that enhances the rest of that development,” he said.

Nickolaisen acknowledges that there may be some initial frustration from the public because the lot will no longer be available for parking, but adds that it was never intended to be a parking lot. Brighton has had an agreement with Bend Park & Recreation District to allow parking while site plans were being developed.

The units themselves will be three stories, with a garage at ground level. The complex will only feature resident units — no commercial space will be available.

Options will include three and four unit homes with some flex office/bedroom on the first floor. Front doors will be on the street side to reflect an urban and open feel for the complex. Nickolaisen says unit prices are not yet available.

Officials have long maintained that projects like the one on the Brighton lot, which increase the city’s housing stock, will help address strong housing demand that Bend has faced in recent years as the city expands in all directions.

“I’m thinking about this in terms of the 33,763 homes that Bend needs in order to keep up with housing demand,” said Bend city Councilor Ariel Mendez. “This is infill, not sprawl. It will be close to amenities, which is important if you care about reducing things like traffic and pollution.”

“So it checks a lot of the boxes for council goals,” Mendez adds. “Is it perfect? No, but you know the city doesn’t own the land and isn’t a developer either.”