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1 <br />BERNARD Dana M <br />From:Roger Rutan <rogerbrutan@gmail.com> <br />Sent:Monday, August 13, 2018 3:13 PM <br />To:BERNARD Dana M <br />Subject:MUPTE Tax Deferral Request - Gordon Lofts Apartments <br />Dana, <br /> <br />I want to encourage the City Council to approve the above tax deferral request. <br /> <br />Having served four years on the Eugene Planning Commission and two terms on the Eugene City Council, I am <br />familiar with the complexities of a tax deferral request such as this. However, this request is exactly what this <br />program was designed to do - encourage housing development where a reasonable incentive is needed to make <br />it happen. In this case, the project offers the real world fundamentals to help create a vibrant, safe and healthy <br />downtown Eugene. <br /> <br />An excellent example of the effectiveness of downtown housing in general is the Pearl District in <br />Portland. While this area got private support for restaurants and the like, it wasn't until a full range of housing <br />was made available for the Pearl District to be the wonderful place it is today. Nothing makes a place more safe <br />than the presence of people and activity all day and all night. <br /> <br />During my 12 years of official public service, we worked tirelessly to get developer interest in a project exactly <br />like the Gordon Lofts. We were unsuccessful at the time. With the MUPTE program, the economics of this <br />project will work. This project is a wonderful opportunity for the council to continue to build on their vision <br />and leadership on the future of downtown and the waterfront area. <br /> <br />My thanks to the City Council for considering my comments and for hopefully approving the MUPTE tax <br />deferral request for the Gordon Loft apartments. <br /> <br />Roger Rutan <br />October 17, 2018, Work Session – Item 2