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Three new buildings are in the works at Bend’s Old Mill District 鈥� a popular mixed-use development along the Deschutes River. The project team is planning to break ground on the first two buildings next year.

TVA Architects is designing the project for developer River Bend Limited Partnership. Kirby Nagelhout Construction Co. will serve as the contractor.

The Old Mill District has generated a lot of interest from prospective tenants and not had sufficient space to meet demand, said Peter McCaffrey, director of leasing and development at River Bend Limited Partnership 鈥� also known as William Smith Properties. The new buildings will offer leasable space for businesses complementary to existing ones.

The design team began conceptual site planning in fall 2021, TVA Architects principal in charge Tim Wybenga stated in an email. Options were sought for three sites at the Old Mill District’s north end.

The first phase is expected to include buildings 鈥淵鈥� and 鈥淶鈥� and cost around $8 million, McCaffrey said. Building 鈥淴,鈥� which would follow in a second phase, could cost around $3 million.

鈥淎mazingly, with all of the constriction in brick-and-mortar retail in the last few years, there is a great demand for space in the Old Mill because it’s such a unique and successful development,鈥� Wybenga said.

Wybenga, at the beginning of his career, worked with developer Bill Smith on the first seven buildings at the Old Mill District. Wybenga was on-site when it was just an abandoned mill.

鈥淭o see what (Smith) envisioned then come to reality and become this huge success is just fantastic, and it’s really exciting to be connected to the future success of this place,鈥� he said.

For these specific buildings, TVA Architects has incorporated types of outdoor spaces that represent the shops and placed parking behind buildings so that they instead open toward hot ponds and the Deschutes River.

Building Y will have approximately 7,300 square feet, possibly for three tenants 鈥� most likely retail or food and beverage. The front doors will face the Old Mill District’s hot ponds and the pedestrian bridge that crosses them. The ponds formerly supported wood production, McCaffrey said, and now serve as decorative and place-making features. Construction is estimated to begin in spring 2023.

That is also when construction may start on Building Z, slightly east of Building Y. Building Z will have approximately 8,000 square feet of ground-floor retail or restaurant space as well as nine apartments 鈥� with one or two bedrooms 鈥� above. Five to seven residential units will likely be furnished for short-term use, McCaffrey said. They could be used by people visiting Bend for business, serving as a seasonal worker, or contributing to a performance at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater directly across the river. The others will have long-term leases. The units will be clean and simple, with a focus on hospitality; they will have small balconies.

Building X is expected to have between 5,000 and 7,000 square feet. It will sit next to the river, directly across from the amphitheater. Building X will likely be built to spec for a single tenant.

鈥淲e are seeking a restaurant operator with a concept and a menu that will fit within the district and is not currently being provided,鈥� McCaffrey said.

That building will have ample outdoor seating on a ground-level patio as well as a significant roof terrace with views of the district, the river, and the amphitheater. The start of construction of Building X is estimated for 2024.

鈥淭he sites will also have really nice views on the river and towards the Cascades from where we sit,鈥� McCaffrey said.

Buildings Y and Z are estimated to open for business in late winter or early spring of 2024.