BY BETTY TAYLOR
Risky Business
The case for smaller-scale redevelopment
A
fter former City Manager Dennis Taylor secured
options to purchase properties on West
Broadway, I received emails from concerned
business owners in the area. I took a midday walk and
confirmed by observation that the most significant
empty spaces were the completely empty Centre
Court Building and the almost empty Washburn
Building (before Davis’ opened). It seemed to me, and to
the property owners I talked with on the street, that reno-
vating those two buildings and filling Aster’s hole with a building
would make a significant difference in the heart of downtown. Later, after a play at
Lord Leebrick, a friend and I took an evening tour of the area. We visited John
Henry’s (where one of the patrons was a city planner), Horsehead and Luckey’s,
and looked into the Tango Center, which was filled with graceful dancers. What I
observed was not blight or emptiness, but happy people enjoying music and re-
freshments — and interacting with each other. I have talked with area business
people who are succeeding through hard work and financial investments and are
worried about being re-located/dis-located/destroyed.
The threat to existing businesses is a paramount reason for my opposition to
Measure 20-134, on which the West Broadway project depends. If the measure
passes, no one knows what will be built or recruited or how much of citizens’ ad-
vice will be incorporated. What is certain is that most of the buildings will be de-
molished (including two historically significant buildings — the ones that house
Shawmed and Taco Time), that busi-
nesses will be damaged or destroyed
(John Henry’s, Tango Center,
Horsehead, Bradford’s Home
Entertainment) or forced to re-locate
(Scan Design) or threatened by unfair,
subsidized competition (Luckey’s, Bijou,
Kiva — for example) or negatively af-
fected by a long, extensive construction
project (businesses on the periphery of
the project area).
It is true that KWG has expressed an
intention to work to preserve existing businesses. That statement of intent is fol-
lowed by a promise “to upgrade the character from the existing ground floor retail
to create a lively and upscale environment” and an acknowledgement that the ex-
isting tenants “will have to be able to afford the new rent” (page 106 of the April
25 council agenda — information from KWG).
If the project is implemented, the destruction will be financed by an increased
diversion of taxes from LCC, Lane Educational Service District, Lane County, the
city government and public schools. Do any of these entities have excess funds?
Anyone who thinks that all the money for urban renewal comes from taxpayers in
the district should look at his/her property tax bill to see the amounts on the two
lines labeled “Urban Renewal.” We are all paying for it. Will our taxes increase be-
cause of the $40 million increase in the debt limit authorized by 20-134 — or will
services be decreased? The money isn’t free. Not only is the money diverted from
needed services — it is easy to spend without public scrutiny. The only reason the
current expansion of the debt limit is subject to a vote is that some business own-
ers initiated a petition to put it on the ballot, causing the city to place it on the
November ballot.
The threat to existing
businesses is a para-
mount reason for my
opposition to Measure
20-134, on which the
West Broadway project
depends.
TO THE EDITOR
WINTER WONDERLAND
I have a vision for downtown that was in-
spired by a recent trip to Ashland. There is a
gorgeous wooded park right in the heart of
downtown that draws people of all ages. It
has a beautiful stream that runs through the
park then right out into the city. All sorts of
shops and restaurants have sprung up along
its banks, allowing for streamside dining. The
natural beauty draws you downtown.
Wooden and stone bridges, steps and benches
are everywhere. What an asset to the city!
I believe Mother Nature has the cure to
our downtown dilemma. I would love to see a
beautiful pond or water feature of some kind
go into that big hole downtown. Something
natural looking, surrounded by trees and
greenery. Are there no creative local design-
ers that could come up with something
unique and natural and truly Eugene? Why
not build a massive greenhouse-style park or
green space for year round enjoyment? My
kids and I would be there all winter!
Jennifer L. Walker
Junction City
WHEN IT WAYNES, IT POURS
I
n addition to the destruction (of businesses) and diversion (of taxes), I am con-
cerned about the delay (of positive actions) caused by the project. The hous-
ing proposal by TK (Kemper) for the Sears site was approved by the City
Council Oct. 16 and, according to city Development Manager Denny Braud’s an-
swer to my question at a May 14 council meeting, would have been completed
“about this time” if it hadn’t been halted in favor of pursuing the large project. If
we had approved Beam’s proposal to renovate two buildings and fill Aster’s hole,
that project would have been started by now — all of this without increasing the
debt limit. We all want to fill the holes, and we can do it without authorizing the ad-
ditional $40 million. By accepting the Beam proposal, we can revamp the center of
downtown and loosen the hold of Connor/Woolley (owners of Centre Court ,
Washburn and the hole on Willamette) on the area. And we can adhere to our
avowed principles of sustainability (by rehabilitating and reusing the Centre Court
and Washburn buildings) and support of local business (by removing the threat of
demolition and forced re-location to existing businesses).
Rather than fostering destruction, diversion and delay, I urge voters to defeat
Ballot Measure 20-134 and ask City Council to proceed with positive actions within
our current financial ability.
Eugene City Councilor Betty Taylor represents south Eugene’s Ward 2. She has a doctorate in English and
retired from teaching at the high school, community college and university levels.
4 OCTOBER 18, 2007
I was in attendance at the Lil Wayne/
Sean Kingston/Charlie Murphy/Fat Joe/
GreenState event put on by 94.9 Jamz,
Eugene Weekly, EyeBeam Event Services
and Cricket Wireless. I am SHOCKED that
the promoters are not offering at least a 50
percent refund to the people who paid $60-
plus to see one of the worst events I have ever
attended. This event was abysmal.
The woman in the ticket office told us that
there were four headliners so the show was
still going on. This is absolutely outrageous.
If this were the case then why was Lil
Wayne’s name twice the size of all the other
“headliners” on every piece of promotional
material for the event? 94.9 Jamz should have
canceled the concert and offered a full refund
when they found out the true headliner of the
show would not be attending. Instead of mak-
ing the obvious ethical decision, they contin-
ued to hype Lil Wayne’s performance all
night long. The DJs and opening acts and the
people in the ticket office were spreading the
misinformation that Wayne was going to
show up and that he was “out of jail heading
to Eugene.”
As for the other acts, GreenState was ter-
rible. There was a good reason they were
booed off stage. Fat Joe only performed a few
songs and with little enthusiasm, and Sean
Kingston didn’t even try to lip-sync to his
recorded audio. Pathetic at best.
Who gets to pocket the money that Wayne
would have gotten had he showed up? Even if
Wayne was paid up front for his performance,
it is on the promoters to recoup that money
from him and in the meantime settle up with
the outraged customers who they misled.
I for one will never attend a 94.9 Jamz
sponsored event unless this situation is recti-
fied. I will also refuse to spend money on or
patronize any of the other companies that had
their names on the screens behind the artists.
These include EyeBeam Event Services, EW
and Cricket Wireless.
The event promoters should be ashamed
of the way they handled the situation. Please
show your patrons that you are not the thiev-
ing and lying group of corporate slime that
you have made yourselves out to be: Give
people a 50 percent refund for their tickets
and work in the future to make ethical deci-
sions in your promotions.
Zachary Payne
Eugene
EDITOR’S NOTE: EW was not involved in any aspect of
the management of this show, including ticket sales.
THREE AT A BLOW
Consider these three dilemmas. First, UO
football games could generate so many po-
tential drunks that the Eugene Police
Department estimates that it would require 40
extra policeman to deal with the lawbreakers
if drinking is banned on parking lots sur-
rounding Autzen Stadium. Second, Lane
County is desperately short of funds. Third,
Phil Knight is so awash in cash that he can
waste it on a basketball palace. How about
this for a solution? Allow drinking in all park-
ing lots near Autzen. Authorize Lane County