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APPENDIX H <br /> <br />Summary of Local Economic and Community Development History and Activities <br /> <br />1981 The Six-Point Program for Economic Diversification was first articulated in 1981, <br /> during the timber recession of the early 1980s. This policy focused on economic <br /> diversification and halting the deterioration in the local economy based on the <br /> following long-term objectives to: <br /> <br /> · Reduce unemployment; <br /> · Increase quality job opportunities; <br /> · Increase per capita net income; <br /> · Lower commercial and industrial vacancy rates; <br /> · Increase the city's regional retail market share; retain or increase retail <br /> market share in downtown Eugene; <br /> · Increase business starts and expansions. <br /> <br />1982 Action Plan. Within the context of the Six-Point Program for Economic <br /> Diversification, an Action Plan was developed to carry out the program's <br /> objectives. The plan recognized that the City's role in economic development <br /> was best served by focusing more on long-range goals while acknowledging that <br /> some quick steps also needed to be taken, and that diversification would occur <br /> largely through the expansion of local firms. The plan also recognized that <br /> financial institutions, developers, businesses, and private business associations <br /> play a major role in successful economic development. <br /> <br /> The 1982 Action Plan contained the following key points: <br /> <br /> a. Industrial Siting ensured an adequate supply of industrial lands and I-1 Light <br /> Industrial Zoned Land for the City's developable land inventory; <br /> b. Core Area Redevelopment focused on development and redevelopment <br /> opportunities in the central areas of Eugene. Loan assistance programs were <br /> available for housing rehabilitation and economic development; <br /> c. Small Business Assistance, in cooperation with the Eugene Chamber of <br /> Commerce, Lane Community College, and the University of Oregon, took <br /> aim at facilitating business expansion, increasing business capacity, and <br /> streamlining the development process; <br /> d. Destination Point Activities marketed Eugene as a tourist, convention, and <br /> entertainment center. The Hult Center for the Performing Arts, Eugene <br /> Conference Center, and the Hilton Hotel all opened in the early 1980s as part <br /> of efforts to rejuvenate Eugene's urban core; <br /> e. Employment and Training continued the link between economic <br /> development and the Eugene Job Training Center, recognizing that there is a <br /> <br /> <br />