Plenty of people in Central Oregon have heard the pitch for a community rink before. What makes this one credible is the work already behind it. The Forge is a year-round, two-sheet ice rink in the works for Bend, planned with the rigor that keeps community rinks open for decades. The vision is solid because the diligence is done.

Most arena dreams die in the gap between the announcement and the groundbreaking. The Forge closed that gap before we ever went public, with documented planning behind every part of the project.

What The Forge Has in Place

The Forge will sit on a seven-acre campus in Northeast Bend. Many community facilities never break ground because site control falls through at the last minute. Ours is settled. The facility will hold two NHL-regulation sheets, an athletic lodge, training space, and parking, all on one campus that families can actually reach. Northeast Bend also keeps the campus within reach of Redmond and Prineville, so families across Central Oregon are not driving over a mountain pass for ice time. The full site plan and renderings show how the whole campus fits together.

Built on Data

The Forge is not a dream without numbers. Before a single rendering, we ran a feasibility study and market analysis. Both confirmed what families here already feel in their schedules: Central Oregon wants year-round ice, and the model works. We started with the demand and the dollars, then drew the building around them. 

What the Feasibility Study and Market Analysis Show

The findings are specific, and they line up with daily life in Bend:

• Strong population growth driving youth sports participation
• Significant unmet demand for consistent, year-round ice
• Financial sustainability through diversified programming
• Real tournament revenue potential for the region
• Long-term economic impact for Bend

Those findings come from real analysis, grounded in participation trends, demographics, and regional demand. When the numbers and the need point in the same direction, you build.

A Debt-Free Model Built to Last

Most ice facilities struggle for the same reasons: thin margins and high fixed costs. Ice arenas are large energy users(opens in new tab), and refrigeration drives much of the bill. Pile on debt service and a single revenue stream, and the finances turn fragile fast.

We designed The Forge to avoid those failure points. The facility carries no long-term debt and answers to no bank. Our capital campaign goal is $40 million, and we’ve secured $10 million so far, about 25% of the total.

The operational pro forma spreads revenue across programs, pro shop, events, food and beverage, and memberships. Energy-efficient construction keeps the running costs low for generations. The debt-free model buys a permanent home for ice in Bend, and community ownership is the backstop. When the people who skate here are also the people who funded it, the facility serves them first, season after season.

Built by Bend, for Bend

What sets The Forge apart is where it comes from: local investment, local families, and a benefit that stays in the community. We sound like a town where you see your kid’s coach at the market, because that’s exactly who is building this. First-time skaters and elite athletes share the same ice here. Everyone belongs. That is the Bend we know: serious about the work, and generous with the welcome.

Follow the Journey From Vision to Groundbreaking

The Forge is built on evidence, and the proof is already on the table. We will post updates as the build moves forward, so you can watch year-round ice come to Central Oregon as it happens. Sign up for our email list to follow the progress.