Bend Weekly Community Forums

[Janie]

I see developers are planning to raze the City Center Motel & the Primrose Apartments downtown to make room for a multi-million dollar retail/condo project. Its supposed to meet the city's request for a building that will 'give high priority to human scale and livability'.

I'm not quite sure what I think about this - mixed, I guess. I'm sure the new building will look much (much) better than the existing ones - even if it is 70 feet tall.

But the apartments that rent out for less than $400/month are probably the last of the affordable options left in Bend. And the new condos may go for well over $1 million each. OK - as a homeowner, I can assume that will trickle on down and make my property values raise, too. But if I were starting out and looking for affordable rents on an entry-level salary, thats bad bad news.

The good news is that the city-owned apartments will net a big chunk of change for the City Police Department.

At least they're planning on including adequate parking. . .

[Rickl]

I would love to see them tear down the City Center Motel. I'm just perplexed as to how that piece of crap is still in business. Places like that in downtown Bend really need to be demolished.
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Rickless

"Being ready is not what matters. What matters is winning after you get there."

[77Tiger]

Gentrification (a.k.a. economic displacement) refers to the process whereby a low-rent neighborhood is transformed into a high-rent neighborhood through redevelopment, usually in conjunction with changing demographics and an influx of wealthier residents.

[Nicole2112]

It's that "a.k.a." that's the kicker, I suspect.

So where does someone in the low-rent income bracket go these days?
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Niki

another source of light : the spark still flies : reflected in

[Priceless]

I dont believe it should be torn down. Its a historic building if anything it should be restored to its natural beauty as if it were just built

[Jigsaw John]

But the apartments that rent out for less than $400/month are probably the last of the affordable options left in Bend.

if I were starting out and looking for affordable rents on an entry-level salary, thats bad bad news.
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Janie,

I assume you mean by starting out as at or near minimum wage.

What's that come to a month? About $1150 gross? After income taxes that's down to about $980. or so.

After paying rent of about $400. that leaves about $575. After a car payment that's about $425. left. Paying car insurance that leaves about $275 or so. After gasoline that leaves about $175 a month.

Throw in paying utilities and that leaves about....Well $25. per month.

Oh, I almost forgot, the poor guy has to eat. So now he is about - $225 in the hole for the month.

Short about $200 bucks a month! And he didn't even buy anything extra!!

And not to mention, what about clothing? Shoes? Haircuts? Car repairs?

I guess my point is, how these companies can pay someone 7-10 bucks an hour and expect them to survive on their own is almost ridicules.

I guess if you are living at home with mom and dad, you can be OK with $7 to $10 an hour.

But if you are on your own, you'll be in the ranks of the working poor, having to borrow money just to pay the monthly bills. Never mind buying anything after working hard all week.

These wages some employers are now paying are what was being paid in the mid 80s or early 90s for crying out loud. It's a pretty sad state of affairs considering the huge cost of rent, fuel, etc, ect.

[SamIam]