Steam Plant and The Montgomery featured in The Register-Guard
Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard
Here's what's happening with the downtown riverfront, Glenwood and other major developments
By Megan Banta
The Register-Guard
December 30, 2021
From the edge of the Willamette River to downtown, Eugene and Springfield are set to see construction on major developments in coming years.
Officials in both cities have voted on deal points and other key steps this year, but there's still a lot of work to go on many of the projects.
Here's what's happened this year and what people can expect to see happen in coming months on six developments in Eugene and Springfield….
Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard
About the development: Eugene is working with a developer to preserve and transform the nearly 100-year-old EWEB steam plant, which helped heat downtown until 2012.
A team led by Mark Miksis of deChase Miksis Development and Arcimoto CEO Mark Frohnmayer is looking to redevelop the 50-foot-tall building into a mixed-use space.
What's happened this year: City staff have been working with the Dream Plant team to hash out the terms of an agreement for the Urban Renewal Agency to sell the steam plant.
Early plans for the steam plant called for art, music and food and drink on the ground floor and upper levels with co-working or office space, though plans for top floors have shifted because of the pandemic.
A boutique hotel likely will serve as the financial anchor, and there may be secondary space for co-working and leadership programs.
Evolving plans and other changes have made the project more expensive, prompting developers to ask for more public support.
What's next: City staff and the development team continue to work on deal points.
Based on a working agenda, the Eugene City Council is scheduled to get an update on the project at noon Jan. 26 during a work session.
About the development: The former Lane Community College building on the northeast corner of Willamette Street and East 11th Avenue has been vacant since the community college moved into a new building in 2013.
The city bought the building in 2020 using $500,000 of federal community block development grant funding and issued a request for proposals.
A development team led by Edlen & Co. and deChase Miksis has proposed to tear down the former LCC building and invest $35 million to construct a six-story building with first-floor retail spaces, an art gallery and 129 units.
Around half of the units would rent for less than market rate to people who make 80% of the area median income, or $39,900 a year for an individual .
What's happened this year: City officials voted unanimously in October to support the city moving forward with proposed terms for sale and redevelopment of the property.
Under the proposed terms, the city would sell the property to the developers for $1 and provide more than $1 million in financial assistance.
Other terms include a 35-year commitment to set aside 66 units for people making 80% of the area median income and 10 of those being set aside for survivors of domestic violence. As of June 1, 2021, the AMI in Eugene was $39,900 for an individual and $56,950 for a four-person household.
What's next: The development team plans to apply for a Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption, which allows the developer to avoid property taxes on the value of new residential construction for up to 10 years.
As part of the MUPTE process, the council and community will have a chance to weigh in on the project’s appearance.
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Other developments featured in the article: Downtown Riverfront Park, Downtown Riverfront neighborhood, Glenwood riverfront.