Eugene developers Tom Connor and Don Woolley said Feb. 9 they will continue negotiations with property owners instead of asking the city to use eminent domain to acquire property for their multi-million-dollar downtown redevelopment plan.
The decision came after the public raised concerns when the developers asked the Eugene City Council to obtain the needed land for them, raising the possibility the city would use eminent domain to acquire the properties.
Connor and Woolley’s $165 million project to redevelop the West Broadway neighborhood between Willamette and Charnelton streets requires the purchase of 16 properties owned by 12 different owners in the area.
Connor and Woolley’s proposed project would raze existing buildings and build 186,000 square feet of retail space, 100,000 square feet of commercial or office space, a 1,600-seat multiscreen cinema, a parking structure, a hotel and an estimated 350 residential units. The developers are working with Opus Northwest on the project.
According to a letter signed by Woolley and sent to Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, the developers believe that property owners should not be forced to sell if they don’t want to.
Jenny Ulum, Connor and Woolley’s spokeswoman, said the developers realized they needed to be more conversational and answer community questions about the project.
Commercial real estate broker Sue Prichard, who is working with Connor and Woolley to purchase the properties, said negotiations with property owners have brought the project closer to a reality.
“We’re trying to inspire people to understand what a great opportunity this is for downtown,” Prichard said.
Prichard said that many property owners expressed a willingness to sell, but that the purchasing price was a major issue. She said she believes property owners are more likely to get more money for their properties if they sell now.
Lazar Makyadath, who owns two stores in the neighborhood, said he had not been contacted by Connor and Woolley but had met with Piercy and city officials, who assured him that they were not going to use eminent domain. Makyadath said he is reluctant to sell but is willing to work with
Connor and Woolley on development of the area.
Makyadath said he is planning to meet with city officials, other property owners on the block and investors to discuss what his other options may be.
Connor and Woolley own seven properties in the development site, but the majority of them are vacant. Their development plan outline said that leasing the space downtown has been difficult because of the lack of pedestrian traffic and because the building configurations don’t work well for retail space.
Ulum said Opus Northwest has the resources to attract national retailers, which would entice other local and national businesses to invest in the area. Ulum said the new housing would bring residents to the neighborhood.
“Downtown should be a place for everyone, and we don’t have that right now,” Ulum said.
Connor and Woolley said the project wouldn’t be possible if agreements could not be reached with the property owners because all of the property needs to build, according to the letter to Piercy.
Ulum said Connor and Woolley don’t have a second plan because they have been actively working on the current project and because Connor, Woolley and Opus Northwest have invested a lot of time in getting the project to work.
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