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<br /> <br />Eugene ranks #7 in volunteer hours donated to arts groups. <br /> <br /> <br />Eugene ranks #4 in hours donated per volunteer <br /> <br /> <br />Eugene ranks #2 in number of out-of-town guests who go to an arts event while here <br /> <br />visiting friends and family. <br /> <br />Eugene ranks #4 in percentage of arts event attendees who are 19 to 34 years old. <br /> <br /> <br />Eugene ranks #2 in the number of people attending an arts event who said they are active <br /> <br />art makers themselves. <br /> <br />The Arts and Downtown Revitalization <br />Beyond the general economic benefits highlighted above, the arts are a key part of the <br />revitalization of downtown Eugene. Arts venues and events draw employers, customers and <br />dollars to the city core all-year-round. City staff has been working with its partners to establish a <br />cultural district in downtown as an economic development tool in attracting and nurturing <br />Eugene’s growing creative sector focused on software development, architectural and creative <br />services. <br /> <br />This strategy supports the regional economic development branding efforts that are focused on <br />creativity, innovation and quality of life and include a focus on short tourism stays, post-secondary <br />education, and business recruitment and expansion. <br /> <br />Listed below are several projects that have recently been implemented or are in process of being <br />implemented to support the various economic development strands. <br /> <br /> <br />Lord Leebrick/Oregon Contemporary Theatre <br />Lord Leebrick, now Oregon Contemporary Theatre, received a $150,000 downtown revitalization <br />loan. The funding has been used for project soft costs, including project design work, office moving <br />costs, and staff additions to manage construction and leasing, and additional fundraising for the <br />project. In addition, staff provided support for a grant application to the National Endowment for <br />the Art’s Our Town program to assist with façade and streetscape improvements. <br /> <br />Bijou Metro <br />With assistance from the City’s Emerging Business Loan Pool, the Bijou Art Cinema is creating the <br />Bijou Metro Movie Theater to be located downtown at Broadway and Willamette in the First on <br />Broadway Building. The City’s loan funds will be matched with owner equity. The Bijou Metro will <br />be a four-auditorium satellite location of the original Bijou Art Cinemas. Each of the auditoriums <br />will be equipped with state-of-the-art digital presentation systems, and the two largest auditoriums <br />would maximize the ability to collaborate with local film festivals and programming from the <br />University of Oregon. Films that do well at the original Bijou Art Cinemas location will move to <br />Bijou Metro for extended runs. Bijou Metro will provide patrons with a lounge space and expanded <br />concession options and another desired cultural and entertainment activity downtown. <br /> <br />Downtown Lighting Initiative <br />The Downtown Lighting initiative focuses on lighting up downtown, both for individual storefronts <br />and with aesthetic lights along Broadway and Willamette streets. The targeted area includes <br />Broadway between the Shedd Institute and the Oregon Contemporary Theatre (formerly Lord <br /> S:\CMO\2013 Council Agendas\M130227\S130227B.doc <br /> <br />