Mercato will utilize state-of-the-art building practices with materials and construction for a sustainable design. Subterranean structured parking and five floors of post tensioned concrete deliver the sound structural platform for the four Mercato buildings. A brick overlay in keeping with the historical traditions of the mill complex will complete the look and feel of Mercato. Two, 28 ft tall additional buildings on the street side will assist in unifying the scale of Mercato to the pedestrian.
Bend - The Place to Live
While we could talk for days about the stunning mountains, lakes, rivers and forests, or the world class skiing, golf, fishing and recreation, we would rather let these respected national publications do the talking for us.
Men’s Journal, April 2005 –Bend ranked as the “Best Adventure Town”.
Newsweek, March 2006, Demographics: Saying Goodbye to the Burbs
MSN/CitySearch, November 2005, Mt. Bachelor ranking nation’s Top 10 Ski Resorts
U.S. News & World Report, June 2006, “Good Riddance to the Rat Race” cites Prineville as a haven for those seeking a more sane lifestyle
NY Times, October 2004, 36 Hours in Bend, OR.
Skywest, April 2005, “Celebrating the Good Life in Bend
Life 2.0, August 2004, How People Across America are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness –Bend mentioned as top place in U.S. to find a great lifestyle
Via/AAA magazine, January 2007, “Best All-Around Playground”
What the writers of these articles have discovered were once well kept secrets: mild year-round climate, clean air, and plenty to do. For example, there are twenty-eight golf courses in the area, eight world-class resorts, hundreds of high mountain lakes and numerous reservoirs for boating, three rivers with superb fishing, and world-class skiing at Mt. Bachelor in the winter. Jet service to San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and soon and Phoenix make it effortless for people to now include Bend as one of the top places to live.
From a business perspective Bend flourishes with very low unemployment, multiple opportunities in light industrial, green businesses, high tech, construction, medical and professional fields all supported by an established four year college. Here are a few of the most recent articles:
Milken Institute, February 2006 –Bend ranked #2 of America’s Best Performing Small Cities ranking, which compares all U.S. metros on a number of factors including their ability to create and retain jobs as well as growth in technology-based industries.
Kiplinger Letter, January 2006 –Bend listed as a top “promising place” in the U.S. for startups -the only area cited in Oregon or the Pacific Northwest.
Forbes, November 2005 –Bend ranked as “telecommuting heaven” where people can do their best thinking but without being isolated.
American City Business Journal, January 2005 –Bend ranked as #1 medium size metro market for business concentration per capita and small business year-over-year growth.
The Economist, February 2007 – “Booming Bend, Prosperity Comes to the Mountains.”