Oregon State University has issued a request for proposals, seeking a company that will help it develop a 24-acre site it has set aside for an innovation district.
University officials hope the district will attract a mix of mature and startup companies to the Bend campus in the coming years.
The parcel is intended to include a mixed use development that goes beyond just commercial and industrial buildings often associated with business.
Rebecca Robinson, OSU’s Associate Vice President for Economic Development and Industry Relations.
“Long-term, we hope that it becomes a really dynamic mixed-use environment that houses university industry, community partners and other collaborators to create an environment that is adjacent to the university’s campus, but will become a place where we collaborate and drive economic growth in the region," said Robinson.
That mixed-use development could include educational space, buildings that house companies and groups who focus on economic development, multi-family housing, retail and more.
Proposals are due in mid-September, and OSU hopes to have a deal in place by August 2026.
