A small but valuable chunk of ground in downtown Bend has been the source of contention over the past year. Troy Field, a 0.8-acre plot of land owned by the Bend-La Pine School District, has become a symbolic hotbed for the future of Bend.
The district doesn’t use the field for anything, so most often it’s used for pickup soccer, football, ultimate Frisbee games, and a space for dogs and kids to run. The Bend-La Pine School District put the land, estimated at $2.6 million, up for sale so it could use the money for funding schools.
There is no real opposition to the school district selling the property, but the buzz grew when the highest bidder turned out to be a Portland developer proposing the construction of high-end condos.
The space was offered to public entities such as the City of Bend and Bend Parks and Recreation District first, but the City of Bend was the only one to bid. The school district rejected its offer and accepted the developer’s offer of $1.9 million, to which local activists responded with protests and petitions.
Zoned for limited commercial use, the property comes with a public facilities comprehensive plan designation. The school district is applying to have the plan designation changed to match the zoning designation, and at the time of publication, it’s estimated the city council will make a decision in early
2016.
