07/08/1976 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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. M I NUT E S EUGENE CITY COUNCIL e July 8,1976 Special meeting of the Common Council of the city of Eugene, Oregon was called to order by His Honor Mayor Lester E.Anderson at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber for the purpose of presentation and first public hearing with regard to Downtown Eugene Retail Analysis (Keyser Marston Associates) and Downtown Westside Study (John Blayney Associates). Council members present were: Gus Keller, Eric Haws, Wickes Beal, Neil Murray, Ray Bradley, D. W. Hamel, and Edna Shirey. Councilman Tom Williams was absent. Mayor Anderson noted the presence of members of the Downtown Development Board, Eugene Renewal Agency, Downtown Westside Neighborhood Association, and Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. Manager said the presentations related to consideration of issues and proposal for con- tinuing redevelopment of downtown Eugene - commercial areas by Jerry Keyser, and land use and transportation patterns west of the downtown business area by John Blayney. Jim Saul, planner, reviewed background of the two studies - the Keyser study authorized by the Renewal Agency, the Blayney study authorized by the Council, both distributed to Council members. Both studies resulted from the major central Eugene project, the Keyser study being the first major study of retail sales activity in the downtown area since completion of the renewal project. The Blayney report, he said, deals with the area immediately west of the business district - between Charnel ton and Jefferson, 7th and 13th - an area having a history of conversion to commercial zoning but indicated for high-density residential use in the present General Plan. Mr. Saul said that two e recommendations coming from a previous study conducted by Blayney called for expanding the renewal project to the west by development of a downtown mall between Charnel ton - and Lincoln, and to give consideration to developing high-density apartments immediately to the west of that development. Because of those recommendations, a refinement study of that area was initiated after which, through the Housing and Community Development Commission, the current study was authorized. Mr.Saul noted Council direction for study of alternatives between retention of existing zoning pattern and continuation of present development trends, or maximum commercial or maximum residential development. Also, an evaluation and assessment of the impacts of those alternatives. That study is the subject of Blayney's presentation at this meeting, he said, noting that the Keyser and Blayney reports each complimented the other. Jerry Keyser said his study covered an analysis of the downtown retail market, one that covered familiar ground. The goals established early in the downtown project were to attract major retailers. However, that type of expansion has occurred outside the downtown area in the Valley River Center which now has four major department stores. As a result, he said, the downtown area has fallen behind in retail sales in this market area, this in spite of overall market growth. Mr. Keyser said that one major conclusion of the analysis was that, in this market, by 1980 or shortly thereafter another store can be attracted into this area, also more small shop space can be sup- ported. This conclusion was also reached in the Blayney study, given the expiration of the J. C. Penney lease downtown in the next year or so, with the expectation that pressure will start about 1980 for an additional shopping center to develop with at least two and maybe three additional department stores, depending upon the size. In terms of the downtown area, he said, that was an important conclusion, because it - brings the question of where such a shopping center will develop. Mr. Keyser continued that the alternatives then are to identify conditions that will - bring major retailers to the downtown area by expanding current facilities to provide assurance that the downtown area will be competitive with a major regional shopping 3~ 7/8/76 - 1