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<br /> <br />ECC <br />UGENE ITY OUNCIL <br /> <br />AIS <br />GENDA TEM UMMARY <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Work Session: Downtown Development Update <br /> <br /> <br />Meeting Date: April 19, 2006 Agenda Item Number: A <br />Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Mike Sullivan <br />www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5448 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />ISSUE STATEMENT <br /> <br />The council has requested that staff provide an update on pending downtown development projects and <br />the implementation of the Downtown Plan. This work session will provide an update on ongoing and <br />prospective downtown projects. Staff will also review work program concepts from the Downtown Plan <br />and progress made to date. <br /> <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />Development projects are both underway and pending on the east and west ends of the downtown core. <br />The Federal Courthouse is approaching completion and construction work on transportation <br />improvements related to the Courthouse District will begin this season. The council’s recent decision on <br />th <br />the East 8 Avenue public parking garage and the private plan for the construction of a Whole Foods <br />store support the momentum of redevelopment activity on the east side of the downtown. Both the <br />Connor/Woolley/Opus development plan and the potential for new development on the former Sears site <br />hold significant promise for the redevelopment of west side of downtown. <br /> <br />The introduction of new housing was a major goal in the 2004 Downtown Plan. The Tate is nearing <br />th <br />completion, providing 47 new ownership units. WestTown on 8 will begin construction in September, <br />adding 102 affordable units and nine market-rate, live-work units. The Connor/Woolley/Opus plan also <br />includes a significant housing component, with 188 units proposed. As a result of these three <br />developments, 447 units of new housing are proposed for the downtown area. Significantly, this total <br />contains a rich mixture of ownership, rental, market rate and affordable units. <br /> <br />The 2004 Downtown Plan emphasizes both development and redevelopment opportunities as a way to <br />implement the vision for downtown. This work session will provide an opportunity to review the <br />relationship between ongoing projects and development opportunity areas identified in the 2004 Plan <br />and a consideration of development sites that are still pending or are not active at this time. <br /> <br />The 2004 Downtown Plan Update also included other policies, implementation strategies and project <br />examples to strengthen economic vitality, and reinforce the special character of downtown. The council <br />discussed these aspects of the Downtown Plan in May 2004. Significant progress has been made on <br />implementation of these strategies, including adjustments to Urban Renewal Plans, implementation of <br />downtown development tools, collaborative work with private development opportunities, implementing <br />plans for Park Blocks improvements, progress on two-way street conversions and work on downtown <br /> L:\CMO\2006 Council Agendas\M060419\S060419A.doc <br /> <br />