05/08/1989 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e Mr. Boles said the community needs to conduct a discussion of some of the broad downtown issues and needs to develop a consensus about the overall vision for the greater downtown area. He raised the possibility of forming some type of representative group to begin this discussion. Only after developing this vision for downtown will the City be in a good position to consider specific issues such as programs, boundaries, service districts, parking, and so forth. Mr. Schwartz said a lot of effort has already been made to develop a vision for downtown--namely, the Downtown Plan. Mr. Holmer supported Mr. Bales' point about the need to consider the vision not just for the core, but for the greater downtown area. Ms. Prichard said downtown faces some very immediate problems, such as the real and perceived lack of security. She did not wish to ignore such problems by focusing solely on long-range planning. Ms. Schwartz said downtown Eugene may be without a major retail anchor store in the near future. He said FY90 retail revenue for the downtown area is projected to be at about the same level it was in 1977, $80 million or so. He said the future of downtown retail is in jeopardy. Ms. Morrow said the public sector does not have much control over the amount or type of retail development that occurs downtown; however, it can establish a favorable environment for retail development. She said one of the most e important elements of such an environment is good vehicular access. Mr. Boles said that increasing the number of security personnel ;s not the only way to deal with downtown's security problems. Another approach is to increase the level of downtown activity (because security problems are often worst in underutilized public spaces). Mr. Boles also said there is a potential to create public sector "anchors" in the downtown area. Mr. Brown reiterated Ms. Morrow's point. In response to Mr. Boles, he said the level of downtown activity will not increase if people perceive downtown as an unsafe and uncomfortable place. Responding to Mr. Boles' suggestion about the need to develop a V1Slon for downtown Eugene, Mr. Rutan said the major downtown issues have already been thoroughly studied and the broad policies for downtown have already been developed (in the Downtown Plan). He said the City's priority should now be to create a favorable environment for economic development and an active downtown. Mr. Boles agreed that the City has a wealth of information about downtown issues; however, he was not sure that this information has been put in a form that is comprehensible to policy makers, let alone to the public. He said the information and various studies need to be put in a form that is understandable, a form that will provide a clear direction for downtown's future. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 8, 1989 Page 2