Brooks News, Author at BrooksResources.com

Doing Our Part to Prepare for and Live with Wildland Fire

I recently attended a workshop designed to discuss the preparedness of Central Oregon for a wildland fire disaster. The big question for the workshop was, “Can Central Oregon become another Paradise?”, referring to the tragedy in Paradise, CA last year from the Camp Fire. Before I attended the workshop, I thought that Bend would never see a tragedy like Paradise, due to our different topography and surrounding landscape. I was wrong. The fire professionals who volunteered their time… more >

Community Spotlight: HDFFA

High Desert Food & Farm Alliance (HDFFA) supports a thriving food and farm network in Central Oregon and has several programs and projects, two of which we wanted to highlight in our community spotlight this month. HDFFA is expanding farm fresh food through a mobile food pantry—a refrigerated truck called Fresh to You—starting this summer. HDFFA and NeighborImpact linked their financial resources to buy a refrigerated food truck that will offer food pantry items, ready-to-make meal kits and fresh… more >

Employee Spotlight: Kirk Schueler

Employee Spotlight Kirk Schueler, President & CEO As part of our 50th Anniversary this year, we’ve asked each team member to share some information about themselves so we can learn a little bit more about each person at Brooks Resources. Here’s a closer look at Kirk today. Q. What project are you working on right now? A. Securing entitlements for Discover West. Q. What’s an average day for you at the office? A. Arrive at… more >

Celebrating fifty years…

One weekend in April we took the opportunity to celebrate our milestone 50th anniversary with the community and our family and friends. It was truly a memorable weekend full of reminiscing, laughs and catching up with friends, old and new. As we look back upon the last five decades and how much Bend has evolved, we feel truly blessed to continue to be an engaged participant in our community. Thank you to everyone who took the time to celebrate… more >

What to Expect from The Bend Housing Market This Year

While a new year typically signals new beginnings, fresh starts and endless opportunity, for those of us in the real estate industry, we choose to look back and see what history might say about the year ahead. And while no crystal ball exists, I find it helpful to review numbers from the past 4 quarters and year-end data compared to the previous year, and to look at economic trends to plan for 2019. Overall, 2018 was a good year for… more >

Annual Brooks Resources Wall Calendar Kicks off 50th Anniversary Celebration

Brooks Resources Corporation’s annual wall calendar has graced the walls of Central Oregon businesses and homes for nearly four decades. Featuring beautiful scenes from our region, this year is no different. For 2019, the horizontal format calendar features an expansive view of the three Sisters mountains. Local photographer Mike Houska of DogLeg Studios took the photo from beloved resort Black Butte Ranch, developed by the company nearly five decades ago. “This year’s calendar is… more >

The NWX Building Blocks of Success

When the West Bend Property Company development team envisioned NorthWest Crossing back in the late 90s, in their minds’ eyes they saw tree-lined streets, diverse architectural styled homes and large, welcoming front porches. Twenty years later, it’s easy to see that vision became a reality—not by chance, but through thoughtful and strategic decisions made by the team. One of those decisions has been central to the success and visual appeal of the neighborhood—the establishment of a Builders’ Guild. Although nameless… more >

The Impact of Art on a Community

“The arts empower. The arts give a voice to the voiceless. The arts help transform American communities and, as I often say, the result can be a better child, a better town, a better nation and certainly a better world. Let’s champion our arts action heroes, emulate them and make our communities everything we want them to be.” ~ Robert L. Lynch, President, Americans for the Arts Inspiring words from a leader of an organization whose mission is advancing… more >

Working for the Minds Behind My Hometown

I took interest in community development three years ago during my first year at the University of Oregon. Never had I realized how privileged I was to grow up in a community where at a young age I could jump on my bike and ride to morning swim practice, to school, or to 7-Eleven for a $.99 Slurpee without even a second consideration. In the last three years, I have spent time travelling around the world and to different US cities while also studying transportation, city planning,… more >

The Metolius Preserve: Our favorite staff meeting of the year

The preserve is an easy, flat hike with an abundance of things to see and experience. Last week several of our staff had the opportunity to spend an afternoon in nature. As a supporter of the Deschutes Land Trust since its inception in 1995, we were thrilled to accept an invitation from the Land Trust to tour their 1,240-acre forested preserve near Camp Sherman. And the Metolius Preserve did not disappoint. With Deschutes Land… more >

The Bend Central District: Focusing on Diversity, Not Density

We all know Bend, Oregon is growing rapidly. There are many reasons people are flocking to Bend: job growth, a strong entrepreneurial culture, recreation opportunities, amazing parks, a growing arts & culture scene, OSU-Cascades, and a favorable climate. And unless you’ve been under a rock, you know that the City is planning for this growth in a variety of ways, including a recently expanded Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). In the UGB plan that was approved and adopted in 2016, one… more >

Navigating the Risky Terrain of Real Estate Development

I’m an adrenaline junky at heart. Most weekends you can find me shredding single track, back country trails on my bike. I love going fast through the forest, and the more technical the terrain, the more I feel that natural high. Of course, it doesn’t always go my way. There are the occasional involuntary dismounts that hurt my ego as much as my body. But I always get back on, searching for the next adventure that (hopefully) won’t kill me. In… more >

How Architecture Can Shape A Neighborhood

David’s father, Eldon, sitting on the steps of 2110 De La Vina David’s grandparents home in California When asked about what fueled his love for architecture, Brooks Resources’ VP of Real Estate Development, David Ford recalls his grandparents’ home at 2110 De La Vina in Santa Barbara, California (yes, he still remembers the address). It was a lovely Craftsman bungalow where David and his two brothers spent most of their summers and holidays. The large, covered front porch with the… more >

Events: The Great Community Builders

As real estate developers, it’s easy to think about the physical, tangible elements that go into building a neighborhood or community. We do it every day. Street Design? Check. Infrastructure? Check. Engineering? Check. Geotechnical testing? Check. But what about the intangible things that encourage social interaction among neighbors and, you know, build community. There are many physical ways to do that of course. Wide sidewalks and large front porches encourage people to get out and meet one another. Garages off… more >

An Advocate’s View: An Interview with Mike Hollern

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt The power of advocacy gives us hope for change, particularly in today’s divisive political climate. It’s easy to throw up your hands and give in to the notion that change will never happen; that politics, red tape and bureaucracy stalls everything. And as an “ordinary” citizen, it’s difficult to know how to get involved and affect change. However, we’ve recently… more >

Living with Wildfire

The Bend lifestyle has it all–stunning Cascade peaks, meandering rivers and clear, blue lakes. A thriving arts and culture scene, world-class dining, even a brewery or 20. It’s no wonder we’ve found ourselves at the top of lists on everything from Outside Magazine to Forbes. But to live in Bend is also to live in a community susceptible to wildfire. It’s an inevitable part of our eco-system and a healthy and natural way for forests to regenerate. It can’t be… more >

How the “Mobility Revolution” will affect Bend, Oregon

Me and my Datsun circa 1983. My father owned a gas station, so I was always around cars growing up. My first car at age 16 was a 1972 Datsun 510. Living in rural southern Oregon, there weren’t a lot of transportation options to choose from, besides a bicycle. So as soon as I could, I spent $900 of my hard-earned, gas-pumping money on my Datsun. When it ran, that car provided freedom. It took me (and my future wife)… more >

Collaborations That Pay Off

Collaboration is defined as “the action of working jointly with others or together to create or achieve something”. It’s an overused word that you’ll find used in many businesses, sports teams and artistic endeavors these days. But the spirit behind collaboration is one that, as a company, we’ve found extremely valuable in the business of real estate development. In fact, some of our most significant and lucrative accomplishments have come about because of partnerships and good working relationships with a… more >

2018 Annual Wall Calendar Released

Brooks Resources’ nearly 40-year tradition continues with the release of their 2018 wall calendar. This year’s calendar features a stunning starry sky over the Cascade Mountains, a photography by Nate Wyeth Photography. Annual wall calendars are free to community members and can be picked up at the corporate office, located at 409 NW Franklin Avenue in downtown Bend. The office is open Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm. Abilitree will be distributing calendars at key locations throughout Central Oregon… more >

Brooks Resources honored by the Oregon Recreation and Parks Association

Brooks Resources was recently honored by the Oregon Recreation and Parks Association. The 2017 Private Sector Partner Award recognizes an Oregon-based entity, corporation, or non-profit organization that has made a significant contribution to the park and recreation profession, either through an agency or the state association. “Brooks Resources has been a partner to park and recreation in Bend since the 1920s when Brooks Scanlon donated Shevlin Park to the City of Bend,” said Don Horton, Executive Director for Bend Park and… more >