07/08/1974 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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- healty sales picture, there was enough sales volume to match the available retail space, including that under construction. However, as new centers opened sales would again dip. He said the downtown would be jeopardized if too many department stores moved and that was why the study's recommendation urged efforts to hold what was there or attract either relocation or construction of new large department stores -. downtown. In answer to Mr. Murray's comment tha t in looking back three years or so I ,.., there may have been a surplus of commercial space and the sales were just now catching: up, Mr. Blayney said that three years ago there was a recession and probably less f buying power than now. It could be said there was surplus space, he said, but lack i of accurate figures made it difficult to make that kind of analysis. i Mayor Anderson wondered if there was any standard on which to base a decision that ~ the right amount of space or retail capacity was available. Mr. Blayney said that setting a standard was very difficult because of constant changes in merchandising and the wide variety of types of merchandise in different types of stores. However, an economic study with co-operation of retailers would establish whether new develop- ment would be taking away from old ones. . Councilwoman Campbell asked ifit was less expensive to get space in Valley River than downtown and whether use of urban renewal in expanding the downtown would lessen ~he cost. Mr. Blayney replied that their figures indicated very little difference i between cost of retail space downtown and in outlying areas, which meant that the free parking program was very important. The assumption was that major department .j stores would .n()t ~~~,~._t9_. .!:oc:.C!_~!f, ,~o.I!!Lt.o_l!.n,.i:f."t;12~~€L .I:'~!?..._p__q__t:, _€!npllgh . f:~e..e ~arking. .~pace_:__J Councilman Keller asked for and received verification of the projected ~ncrease .~ in retail floor sp~ce in the metropolitan area from 5MM to l~MM square feet ~y 1990. ~ He asked what reta~l space would encompass. Mr. Blayney rev~ewed the types of goods attracted to major shopping centers - shopper and convenience items for the most part. He. said car sales would not be included as part of a regional center. Mr. Blayney identified, in answer to Councilman Murray, the opportu~ity area north of Harlow Road immediately east of Interstate 5. Mr. Murray asked why the study ,recommended extension of the downtown mall to the wesb rather than in some other direction. He said commercial interest appeared to be to. the north. Mr. Blayney a~swered that the area to the west was one needing attention, there was nearby ;residential area supplying a potential commercial market, and that new development · , !was already occurring in other directions from the mall. Mr. Porter added that the , I area to the north had been designated as a special d_istrict, and the civic center c 'was designated for the area to the east. It was suggested that the project extend " 1no farther to the west than Lincoln Street with commercial operation, he said, ~which would be a natural extension of the present commercial activity on the Broad- ~ way mall. David Hunt, ERA director, disclaiming ERA responsibility for planning, ls~id the ERA had always anticipated the northern portion of the mall would be used ~'for purposes incidential to commercial uses, and the most logical extension of com- mercial uses would be to the west. He noted the amount of space in the western area now owned by the Agency which could be used to provide parking to influence It ,location in the downtown area. Mayor Anderson called attention too to the trans- portation problems inherent in expanding northward because of the railroad tracks. Councilwoman Beal asked what the thought was with regard to commercial, uses to the .' 'east where there was a large concentration of students and young people. Mr. Blayney said the area to the east was blocked by office and other noncommercial uses so the only open direction was probably to the west. He added that the type of questions i being raised could only be answered through a planning study ?n the entire downtown I area. p '0' Mr. Murray asked for elaboration of the mention of traffic problems for the resi- dential area surrounding downtown in one of the al~er~atives. Mr. Blayney responded that projections indicated that additional traffic.to the downtown in a few years would make th~ surrounding narrow residential streets much less desirable. However, i 1 a strong transit program to handle more downtown employes would reduce that effect. i When asked if a development plan could include a means of protecting those residential \ streets, Mr. Blayney said about the/best that could be anticipated would be to desig- nate some. of the streets as arterials, leaving others for a more desirable living environment. He suggested that some of the traffic ways already proposed should be pursued to provide access to the downtown. He said some high volume traffic streets : have very successful residential units, designed for "inward" living, when Mr.Murray ~.' 'commented on the critical considerations in terms of traffic volumes on residential , "'streets bordering the downtown area. I I I Discussion was concluded by the Mayor with the understanding further discussion l would be scheduled for the July 17 committee meeting. At Manager's suggestion it cb was agreed to invite Lane County Commissioners and Planning commission,Springfield7t~V~~ Council and Planning Commission, as well as those agencies represented at this meet- ~P:flrm ing, Eugene Renewal Agency and Eugene Plannjng Commission. _.____0--________ .. ,.~ -. - '.-_ .... _.._. . ...~ _ _," ....__ .. ". .._._..,",...~_ ."_.'_'___ , \ 7(8/74 - 17 2.42>