The Platypus Pub has been a part of the Bend community for years.
But it soon will be torn down – and residents are concerned about what is being put in its place.
Neighbors have heard that a building with a drive thru will be replacing the Platypus Pub, and they are far from pleased.
Bill Caram from the Orchard District Neighborhood Association says the concern is not about the building coming down…but how a drive thru could be holding back Bend.
“The Orchard District has really bought in on the vision of the Bend Central District, and that’s a vibrant mixed use community with better bike and pedestrian connectivity,” Caram said. “The city adopted a code to bring that vision to life and we believe that by making an exception to that code, by allowing a drive thru, sets a terrible precedent for this area that has so much potential.”
The vision of the Bend Central District is to encourage walkability and make the area surrounding the pub more of a destination, rather than a pass through. And a drive thru may not fit that mold.
According to Donna Burklo of the Bend Central District, “This is one of the last spots we have, if not the last spot, for us to expand the downtown look and feel of Bend. It’s an opportunity that with each of these choices we really need to consider that.”
Other residents are troubled by the historical loss of the Platypus Pub building, which used to be a church and a popular Italian restaurant.
Although it is not on the registry of historic places…many have a strong emotional attachment to the property.
“It is about emotion, it is about your connection to the community,” said Kelly Cannon-Miller from the Deschutes Historical Museum. “You know a building of this kind of character pulls that emotion out of a community and they don’t want to lose that.”
What is being put in place of the Platypus Pub has yet to be confirmed.
