Ord. 20644 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The City founders understood the importance of public space; the Park Blocks are a living legacy of their forethought and civic spirit. The design, appearance and function of the Park Blocks are a critical component and the long-term location for two beloved organizations, the Saturday Market and the Lane County Farmers Market. On a direct path to the Willamette River from downtown, the Park Blocks are also a key part of the Willamette to Willamette Initiative. For the other public spaces in the Plan Area, including Broadway Plaza and the Hult Center Plaza, improvements are needed to benefit the public in terms of the safety, health, and welfare of residents through the removal of blighted conditions, improved amenities and attractiveness of these spaces as well as their impact on existing and desired adjacent uses. With the needed improvements in place, these downtown spaces will have the potential to more fully support the growing downtown neighborhood and to provide an inviting urban open space in the core of the city for the entire community. A focused, strategic investment in the amenities, design, and character of these spaces strengthens the conditions for increased desired uses and development downtown. The Lane County Farmers Market operates multiple times per week during the spring, th summer, and fall on a portion of the Park Blocks on 8 Avenue. The Farmers Market continues to encounter difficult issues with that location, such as inadequate electrical service, uneven, unpaved, and inaccessible surfaces, and lack of a permanent shelter. Reincorporating the Butterfly Parking Lot into the Park Blocks for the Farmers Market would re-establish the original Park Blocks and support a cornerstone of downtown activity and one of the most significant public event venues in the city. For the past few years, the Farmers Market has expressed a need and desire to expand its offerings to maintain financial viability and potentially operate year-round. The Agency will improve the Park Blocks in order to make that location more attractive and functional for the Farmers Market and accessible, safe, and inviting for the public. The Agency and City purchased the Butterfly Lot in January 2019 to serve as the location of the future City Hall and improved Farmers Market. The Hult Center is a community asset with an underutilized and awkwardly configured plaza that will benefit from community engagement and subsequent system planning and/or improvements. The Agency assembled the land and donated the property to the City for the Hult Center development. In 1978, voters supported an $18.5 million General Obligation bond to finance the Hult Center construction. Since its grand opening in 1982, the Hult Center has been charming audiences with popular performances in the Silva Concert Hall and the Soreng Theater. However, the outside of the Hult Center does not create an inviting and safe place for gathering before or after events, and does not provide a positive economic impact for nearby users. The parks and plazas in the Plan Area have the potential to add to the livability and the economic vitality of the entire downtown. As downtown density increases, these areas could provide much needed urban open spaces to support the growing downtown neighborhood, as well as an inviting destination for the entire community. At present, ReportontheProposed2020Amendment 10