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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: Downtown Strategies Meeting Date: October 21, 2009 Agenda Item Number: A Department: Cross-departmental Staff Contact: Amanda Nobel Flannery (PDD) www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5535 ISSUE STATEMENT This work session is a continuation of the council’s discussion of downtown economic development and will specifically address downtown strategies. The draft strategies will be a starting point for the work session discussion (Attachment A). The four strategies are grounded in the recent downtown collective statements, public input from the downtown revitalization survey, prior public involvement, and planning documents. BACKGROUND The council’s discussion of downtown revitalization is part of a larger conversation on local economic development actions. The council unanimously approved a City of Eugene Mayor and City Council Economic Development Statement in January. The local economic stimulus discussion continued at work sessions on April 13 and May 27, 2009. On May 27, the council approved actions on three economic development related items: 1) sale of surplus City real estate for identified development projects; 2) initiation of amendments to extend the expiration period for approved land use applications; and 3) consideration of an amendment to the Downtown Urban Renewal Plan. On July 8, the council held a follow-up work session on methods to reinforce existing programs and businesses downtown and to create a series of stimulus actions to strengthen the City’s role in community economic development. No formal action was taken on July 8; however, the council did express interest in talking about desired downtown outcomes prior to resuming discussion on the various tools available for achieving the outcomes. At a workshop on August 10, the council discussed and categorized desired downtown outcomes after reviewing a summary of the current downtown-related policies, plans, and prior public involvement efforts. Following the workshop, staff compiled councilors’ outcomes into collective statements using the model from the City Council Consensus Workshop Report February 6-7, 2009, prepared by Consensus Associates. (See Attachment B for the “Planning & Public Involvement Efforts Summary for Downtown” and Attachment C for the collective statements.) On September 14, the council reviewed initial results of a downtown revitalization survey conducted by Strategy Research Institute. Similar to the survey conducted last year for the road bond, the downtown survey was conducted to provide the council with specific information on the level of community support for particular policies and actions under consideration. The full set of survey questions, response percentages, and a sample cross tabulation by council ward were all attached to a memo the council received, dated October 1. Z:\CMO\2009 Council Agendas\M091021\S091021A.doc