Item 2A - Approval of Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Taylor indicated her enthusiastic support for the motion. She felt this would induce more retailers to move downtown. In response to a question from Mr. Meisner, Mr. Braud stated that, initially, ORI would provide 300 jobs. Mr. Meisner asked staff to provide more information on how the minimum of parking needs requested would be addressed. He commented that he did not like the preliminary design of the building. He opined it did not create a pedestrian-friendly street scene. He wondered if some of the windowless walls could be moved to the second floor. Mr. Pap6 expressed concern that the City was providing $750,000 in support and this did not, in the eyes of the public, necessarily indicate the City was working fairly in the public trust. Based on this, he could not support the deal. Mr. Kelly agreed with previous comments in support of the motion. He applauded the intention to utilize green building techniques. Regarding Mr. Pap6's concerns, he said that other than the environmental assessment, this project contained identical numbers to those presented the previous year in the request for funding proposal (RFP) process and the council had endorsed it at the time. Ms. Nathanson expressed disappointment in how the City was managing the site and the sale. She had hoped a park would be developed across the street from the library. Nonetheless, she looked forward to the development of the Sears building site. Mr. Poling, though he shared Mr. Pap6's concerns, felt it was better to bring 300 to 500 jobs into the downtown area than to have an "eyesore sitting vacant for another 15 years." Mayor Torrey remarked that if the City Council unanimously approved the design before it, it "would not be representing the City." He supported the creation of a critical mass of people in the downtown area. He said businesses will follow the people and he believed it was a great venture for the City. Ms. Solomon asked if there was truly sufficient parking available. Mr. Braud affirmed there was. Ms. Solomon opined that the design should include a pitched roof. Mr. Fitzgibbons responded that it was a unique building in that it was almost all office space, which made for a repetition of a ten-foot module. This created a need for a long ribbon of horizontal sun shades. He felt the building would ultimately be "stunning" in terms of its '~touchability and color." He added that there would be windows on the first level. He thought there was potential for more fenestration on the roof. Ms. Taylor asked if people would be coming and going in the evening. Mr. Braud replied that they would. Ms. Taylor commented that many subsidies had been provided without obvious benefits and this project had obvious benefits. In response to Mr. Pap6, Mr. Fitzgibbons explained that LEED stood for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 23, 2004 Page 6 Work Session