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e the uses being discussed are appropriate for the west site. Mr. Farkas said yes, and added there was a range of possible appropriate retail uses. Ms. Ehrman said one of the reasons that mixed-use was considered by the Future of the Library Committee was beginning financing. She asked what front-end costs the developer would be responsible for, or if Mr. Farkas was discussing leasing space. Mr. Farkas said there were a number of methods possible, and described some possibilities. He said staff had not yet done a detailed analysis regarding these options. Mr. Holmer asked what practical opportunities existed for getting a decision from private developers to enable the City to proceed with such a plan. Mr. Farkas said the City has begun preliminary discussion with private develop- ers, including those on the retail side and those on the office development side. When discussions are sufficiently advanced, Mr. Farkas said staff would bring the private parties to the council. In this light, Mayor Obie asked Mr. Farkas if the use of tax increment funds to build a library was an appropriate use. Mr. Farkas said he was checking into whether building a library would be a legal use. Ms. Bascom said office development, government buildings, and cultural cen- ters have a better chance of succeeding in downtown than a major department store. She asked if the mixed-use concept relied on a major department store, or whether it could work with smaller, speciality retail and office space. Mr. Farkas said the staff had looked at the library in conjunction with office space and retail space at the 8th Avenue and Willamette Street site. Mr. Farkas indicated the banks, attorneys, and accountants in downtown Eugene are generally located toward the courthouse end of the downtown area. e Ms. Schue asked for information about urban renewal financing and parking. She asked if the mixed-use portion of the project could pay for a portion of the parking. Mr. Farkas said two kinds of parking need to be addressed if the library is to be located on the Charnel ton site: parking for the li- brary, and replacement parking for the parking removed by construction. Mr. Farkas felt that with significant retail development, tax increment funds could be used for the replacement parking. He was unsure if the specific library parking could be paid for using tax increment funds. Mr. Holmer asked if staff had looked at the possibilities of a mixed-use building at the present 13th Avenue site. Ms. Decker responded that the committee looked at the possibility but concluded there was not enough market to make it viable. Mr. Farkas added that a disadvantage of the site was lack of proximity to other retail and office space. Mr. Miller asked about a mixed-use project on the mall itself. Mr. Farkas said that this is conceptually possible; however, this would probably entail demolition of existing buildings. Mr. Gleason said that property acquisition and demolition must be done with the increment money, which decreases poten- tial cash flow. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 23, 1988 Page 3