The City of Eugene’s Urban Renewal Agency will be sole controller of the Eugene Water & Electric Board property along the Willamette River. The vote was 6 to 2 today Wednesday.
In its capacity as Urban Renewal Agency, the Eugene City Council voted to take on the role of agent in development of the 17 acre EWEB property. It’s what’s termed surplus land. It excludes the utility’s headquarters, which will stay in EWEB’s hands. City Councilor Claire Syrett says the plan limits liability for Eugene as much as possible…
Syrett: “While putting us in the driver’s seat for how this property gets transformed into a benefit for the city. And that benefit includes taxable property, increased housing, there’s proposals in the master plan for affordable housing.”
The master plan Syrett mentions includes new parkland and makes the riverfront property more accessible to the public. Portland firm Williams and Dame is interested in developing the site. As agent, the city would negotiate the sale of parcels. Under the deal the city agrees to pay EWEB between $6.5 and 6.9 million for the land in 5 years.
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