There’s no denying that Klamath Falls is showing some life, economically speaking. I would argue that we’re actually on a roll, and most of the partners we work with agree. While I’m proud that a lot of that activity is taking place downtown, it’s even more exciting that our entire region is getting in on the action.

At a conference I attended recently in Seattle, it was said that there are currently more cranes deployed in that city than in Los Angeles and New York City combined. That’s pretty easy to believe as you walk through the core of the city, and for those in economic development circles it’s easy to walk around the city (or drive, if you have the patience) with a smile on your face.

Of course, we are not Seattle. For starters, we currently have exactly zero cranes working in Klamath Falls. But that doesn’t mean things aren’t happening. Economic development looks a lot different in cities like ours. Instead of building high-rise office buildings, we fill vacant storefronts (in downtown, the vacancy rate has fallen significantly in the past two years – currently less than 10% for ground floor space). Instead of building high-rise apartment complexes, our property owners and developers rehabilitate upper floors of historic buildings into residential space (we are aware of approximately 20 residential units that have been made available in downtown Klamath Falls over the past two years, with more currently in development). Instead of building factories, our local entrepreneurs start, grow, or relocate their business (in 2018, there was a net gain of 11 new businesses and a net gain of approximately 70 new jobs in downtown). Instead of being dominated by outside developers looking for nothing more than a quick buck, our local property owners are putting their hard-earned money into our existing building stock (our recent façade and building improvement grant process identified approximately $1.5 million in potential projects in downtown alone. The grants awarded will result in projects worth nearly $300,000 this year).

We are also fortunate to have some ongoing activity that is more easily recognizable as economic development. Two particular properties – the “Balsiger Block” and Timbermill Shores – have recently become hotspots for upcoming brick & mortar activity. Both properties have the potential to provide exciting amenities to our community without trading our small-town charm or sacrificing our natural or historic assets.

This activity is all happening now, but many of our neighbors may not be aware since it doesn’t catch our attention like cranes and sidewalk barriers and street closures. Our local alphabet soup of organizations involved in economic development are working hard every day to keep the momentum going, and we think it’s important to celebrate our success stories.