The Eugene Water and Electric Board will “power on” in a new direction with its riverfront property. At the board meeting Tuesday, EWEB commissioners voted to scrap the proposal process.
The Eugene Science Center, Obie Companies, Olympus Academia, and Three Muses Group submitted proposals for the signature building. But EWEB General Manager Frank Lawson said every proposal lacked something that had been requested. He explained, “Some proposals outlined a very clear vision, but then the financials were very insecure and unspecified. Others had more specificity around some of the terms, but the financial offer was not clear or the vision wasn’t clear.”
Board member John Barofsky emphasized the move wasn’t a “no” for any group, but there was no way to compare the plans. The board voted unanimously to direct the general manager to pursue the sale. Specifics of the criteria and procedures to approve a buyer will be discussed at the next executive session on October 6th.