HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Newsletter - 09/15/05
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
September 15, 2005
City of Eugene
777 Pearl Street, Room 105
Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www.ci.eugene.or.us
IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION
THOMAS HACKER ARCHITECTS TO LEAD CITY HALL MASTER PLANNING PROJECT
EUGENE SYMPHONY OPENING NIGHT
PUBLIC WORKS INSTALLS NEW SIGNS AT GOLDEN GARDENS PARK
AROUND THE CITY
Thomas Hacker Architects to Lead City Hall Master Planning Project
A consultant team headed by the Portland firm of Thomas Hacker Architects has been selected to lead a
community-based process for the development of a master plan for future City governmental facilities
downtown. The master plan will create a vision and strategy for developing future downtown City
buildings and public spaces. The process will address choices regarding the renovation or replacement
of City Hall, consolidation of City services, and the integration of City facilities with the cultural, historic,
and economic character of downtown Eugene. The master planning effort, the first element of the City
Hall Complex Action Plan approved by the City Council in May, will include extensive public involvement
in keeping with the civic scale and potential financial impact of the project.
Thomas Hacker Architects (THA) is one of the premier architectural firms in the Pacific Northwest, with
extensive experience in public architecture, master planning and community collaboration. It has
developed a reputation for integrating client input and programmatic needs with quality design while
working closely with client groups, public agencies, planning committees, and neighborhood groups to
produce exemplary public buildings throughout the west. THA’s team is comprised of a strong group of
consultants with a broad range of expertise, including several firms that have collaborated on multiple
past and current projects.
Local team members include Gary Moye, an architect and educator who has maintained a professional
relationship with Thom Hacker for 35 years, SOLARC for sustainable design, ECONorthwest for
economic and financial analysis, Construction Focus for cost estimating, and Access Engineering for
transportation issues. Ang Engineering Group will provide consultation on structural engineering issues
and Weber Elliott will advise on civil engineering issues.
The public involvement component of the project will be implemented by the JD White Company of
Vancouver, Washington, with local assistance from T’NT Consultants. KC Cooper, JD White’s public
involvement manager, has over 20 years of experience in public involvement processes specializing in
bringing disparate groups together to build consensus toward a common goal. Ellen Teninty of T’NT has
a long track record of designing and leading public participation on a wide range of economic policy
issues, bringing a focus on effective and equitable public involvement processes.
The City is expediting contract negotiations for the first phase of the project in order to begin this
important master planning effort as soon as possible. For more information, contact Mike Penwell,
facilities design and construction manager, at 682-5547 or michael.j.penwell@ci.eugene.or.us.
Eugene Symphony Opening Night
On Thursday, September 22, Giancarlo Guerrero will conduct the Eugene Symphony in its opening night
program featuring the 2005 Van Cliburn Competition Gold Medalist,Alexander Kobrin. Mr. Kobrin will
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September 15, 2005
perform Sergei Rachmaninoff'sirresistibleRhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, one of the composer’s
best known and most significant works. The rhapsody was written in 1934 and was debuted shortly after
by the Philadelphia Orchestra, with Rachmaninoff at the piano. “Variation No. 18” contains one of the
most popular melodies heard today.
.
The program continues with Debussy's first great orchestral work, Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun
Based on StephaneMallarme'spoem—L'Après-midi d'un faune—the prelude's premiere in 1894 was so
enthusiastically received, the conductor was obliged to repeat the performance. Rounding out the
program is Mussorgky'sPictures at an Exhibition, originally written for piano, and later arranged for
orchestra by Maurice Ravel. It illustrates a visit the composer made to an exhibition in 1874 which
honored his dear friend and artist, Viktor Hartmann, and incorporates musical pieces representing 10 of
Hartmann's images. Interestingly, only three of the 10 pictures represented in the music actually
appeared in the exhibit. Don’t miss this fabulous opening night line-up! For more information, contact
the Hult Center Ticket Office at 682-5000.
Public Works Installs New Signs at Golden Gardens Park
New signs were recently installed around the three ponds at
Golden Gardens Park. Parks and Open Space maintenance
staff installed the signs in strategic locations to be easily visible
from the various public entrances to the park.
Public Works staff from Parks and Open Space and
Engineering partnered to survey and map the various depths of
each pond to provide improved information to the public and
emergency service providers. The informational signage
includes the name of each pond, the depth of each pond, and a
telephone number to call for further information.
For more information about this project or the maintenance of
Golden Gardens Park, contact John Clark, POS natural
resource maintenance supervisor, at 682-4826.
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September 15, 2005