02/09/1981 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e Ms. Smith asked what ERA, the Planning Commission, and other boards had done about financing. Mr. Obie said they had not done a Qreat deal. They do have some money to start with, they have some land, and they would have consideration on tax deferral. They could use tax increment financing for some of the ameni- ties; they could find $8 million for a commercial development based on tax increment. They needed to assign an agency to "carry the ball." The renewal agency will start to be concerned with keeping a vital downtown. Mr. Keller thought there were positive aspects to having ERA the lead agency and now, currently, two City Councilors are members of the board. Mr. Kupper suggested that ERA could develop an accountability process which the City Council would approve. e Mr. Gleason said that this meeting was exactly what he had hoped it would be, with a lot of questions and consideration of how they were going to do it. From the staff point of view the major problems would be to focus in the area of housing. There is some confusion about the roles the different agencies, boards, and commissions will play. The council will have to assign duties. Mr. Gleason had some concern about the City Council being the lead agency. Until the City Council developed a plan and assigned the departments roles, they would have an ebb and flow instead of a direction. The City Council needs to say, liThe king is dead; here is another idea." They need to decide if they will continue to provide dollars for the revitalization of the downtown core. People will be concerned if they do not. A public statement is needed in that regard. Renewal is a process. There is now a focus change. The council needs to define the commitment of resources. They need to make a statement that the mall with two department stores is not what they are seeking any more. Mr. Obie said that the renewal agency is preparing a council resolution. They are not giving up on the downtown or the downtown retail. Mr. Obie asked the council members if they were in agreement with the concept and the effort so far. They were. III. EMERALD CANAL Ms. Baker said that the proposed route of the Emerald Canal was from the end of the Millrace near Ferry, behind the Hult Building, through the Register-Guard parkinq lot, turning the alleyway behind Bell Telephone, crossing 11th to the alley to behind Safeway on 18th where it would connect with Amazon. Mr. Kupper had trouble with the connection of housing and the Emerald Canal, because of the expense of getting the canal in place. Ms. Smith recognized the expense but felt that, if possible, she would like coordination and planning to QO on. Mr. Lindberg did not wish to obstruct the canal. Mr. Keller asked what financing sources the backers of the canal had. Mr. Lindberg replied that they had applied for a planning grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Ms. Wooten said that the Army Corps of Engineers has come up ~ith a ratio of 4.25 ~o 1 (~ is break-even) so it does not look hopeful aSk~ proJect. Mr. Gleason S~l~ proJects on that scale are accomplished by ta lng aavantage of opportunltles over a 40-year period. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 9, 1981 Page 4