CC Minutes - 05/12/03 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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B. WORK SESSION: Responses to Request for Proposals for Sears Building Development Site Mayor Torrey closed the meeting of the Eugene City Council and opened the meeting of the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency. Denny Braud, Planning and Development Department, provided an overview of the Request for Proposals (RFP) process associated with the site in question. He noted the four responses before the Urban Renewal Agency, and asked the council sitting as the agency to identify a preferred response to send forward for further negotiation. Mr. Braud called the council's attention to the four responses to the RFP included in the meeting packet. They included three mixed-use housing projects, submitted by the Fogelstrom Group, Arlie & Company, and Sockeye Development, and a commercial office project submitted by Oregon Research Institute (ORI). He noted that staff reviewed the responses using a variety of criteria, including relevant project experience, density, readiness to proceed, financial capacity and feasibility, financial return to the City, contribution to downtown, and character of the development. Mr. Braud reviewed each response. He acknowledged the merits and uncertainties involved in each response, and recommended that the council select the response submitted by the Oregon Research Institute (ORI). He said that the uncertainties associated with the response appeared to be solvable if financing and a capable developer could be identified. ORI would be required to demonstrate it made progress on those steps within six months; if the project did not move forward, staff recommended that the City begin immediate negotiations with the Fogelstrom Group. He said that the council would review the final terms and conditions of approval. Mayor Torrey solicited a first round of council comments. Ms. Taylor concurred with the staff recommendation. She said that people were needed in downtown, and the 300 people working at ORI would want retail uses and the development would assist retail conditions in downtown. Employees would look for places to meet and shop. ORI also would draw clients into downtown. Ms. Taylor pointed out that all those traveling to the site could use the bus. She also noted the long-time presence of ORI in the community. Mr. Meisner asked if ORI intended to build underground parking. He did not anticipate all visitors and employees would ride the bus and questioned if the City would be required to provide all parking. He asked if the salary estimates for employees included benefits. Mr. Sullivan did not know. Mr. Meisner asked staff to follow up on both questions. He also wanted to know the long- term tax impact of the ORI response to the City if selected, noting that the lack of retail facilities in the response meant the property would be entirely tax-exempt. He asked for a comparison with the other responses. Mr. Meisner noted the council's goals for mixed-use in downtown, but the staff evaluation appeared to downgrade responses that responded to that goal. That was a concern for him. Mr. Meisner asked if the City intended to secure a non-refundable deposit from ORI, suggesting that it ought to. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 12, 2003 Page 3 Work Session