Last week saw the opening of the new Visitor Information Center and Mountain View Gallery on Bendigo Boulevard in North Bend.

The project is the result of a yearlong partnership between the city of North Bend, BrookWater Advisors and the North Bend Downtown Foundation.

The Downtown Foundation hired Pamela Wickard to manage the center and be a weekend ambassador.

The new building will also house the Mountain View Gallery and will be space for local artists to exhibit their talents, starting with Greg Schatzlein, a photographer, and Brian Ferril, a sculptor. Once the center is fully active, the outdoor plaza area will be the venue for seasonal activities and events.

A grand opening is planned for Saturday, Sept 13, the same weekend as the North Bend Jazz Walk. The ceremony will include a reception with live music and a ribbon cutting by Mayor Ken Hearing.

Tom Sroufe and BrookWater Advisors were the developers for the Bartell Drug store that opened last November on Bendigo Boulevard. The North Bend Downtown Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2010 to build and promote community in the downtown area of North Bend.