05/23/1983 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e - Albert Pastine which shows a conception of the building after restoration. Mr. Wylie stated that he supported Mr. Bennett's proposal and felt that the loans from the City were an appropriate use of public money. He explained that the restoration work is much more labor intensive than building a parking lot and would have a more beneficial result. Brad Perkins, 1590 Mill Street, Eugene, stated that he is a consultant for renovations and that he has been talking with the committees involved with the ATO house. He stated that he is concerned with the lack of understanding in the Register-Guard editorial and explained that 119 buildings had been demolished and 143 had been changed so drastically that the downtown area is losing its identity. Mr. Perkins distributed pictures of the house taken recently and in 1910, explaining that restoration would not be as difficult as stated in the editorial. Mr. Perkins stated that the building has been nominated to the National Register and the main problem is that the building has been an eyesore for too long. He stated that it takes a trained eye to see the beauty in the building, a building which he believes to be structurally sound. Speaking from an economic viewpoint, Mr. Perkins stated that businesses would desire to locate in a building close to downtown, especially in a building with interior space that has some character as opposed to the intimidating or boring architectural style of a new building. Mr. Perkins said that the proposed parking lot would provide only a view of the backs of the Kiva and St. Vincent's de Paul buildings. He said he felt that the spending of a $125,000 subsidy is outweighed by the property's value and future use. He said the project maximizes the use of the land and is part of a national trend toward restoration. Mr. Perkins explained that the restored property would add dollars to the tax base. Mr. Perkins stated that while the Hessels want to get out of the property, they also feel the property should be restored. He said that the restoration would be in line with the council's past actions with regard to restoration and with the recommen- dations of the committees involved. Mr. Perkins stated that the restoration of the ATO house is in keeping with the goals and policies of the Metropolitan Plan for providing continuity and linking the past with the future. Joe McCoy, 388 East 11th Avenue, Eugene, representing the 700 Club, said that his organization is presently talking with the Hessels in an attempt to alleviate Mr. Hessel's problems as well as those of the community. He said that the building, when restored, could be used to rehabilitate and assist those individuals who had torn the building apart as well as providing office space for counseling and social services. Mr. McCoy stated that the funds to restore the building could be provided by the CDBG, Commercial Redevelopment, and Historic Preservation loan programs, as well as by private donations and the 700 Club. He stated that the OverPark is only a block away and is never filled to capacity, therefore another parking lot is not needed. He restated that his organization is talking to ~Ir. Hessel and that others from the 700 Club are becoming involved in the project. Ms. Decker, referring to Mr. Gallagher's statement, said that the condition of the Hessels carrying part of the purchase price would be the same under the proposals made for demolition or restoration. She stated that Mr. McCoy had presented his proposal to the Historic Review Board, but that no formal proposal for funding or eligibility for various funding programs had been received by the board. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 23, 1983 Page 4