Months after local developers Tom Connor and Don Woolley dropped plans to redevelop the West Broadway neighborhood following unsuccessful negotiations to buy property from local business owners, the city is seeking proposals from other developers.
The Eugene City Council voted on Monday to give the Urban Renewal Agency the right to issue a Request for Qualifications, which would select developers for the redevelopment of the area based on how viable their concept is and on their ability to implement it.
Several buildings in the neighborhood are vacant, while others are not suited for retail use because of their configurations, according to development plans.
The city is hoping that one development team or a combination of development teams could submit a proposal that would move the project forward, said Denny Braud, senior development analyst for the Planning and Development Department.
The area targeted for redevelopment covers about 168,575 square feet of property on West Broadway between Willamette and Charnelton streets, according to redevelopment plans.
The city is hoping to buy properties from all 12 of the property owners in the neighborhood, although it will not force owners if they don’t want to sell, Braud said.
The city has already paid about $54,000 for first-purchase rights from nine of the property owners, which gives either six or 12 months for either the city or developers affiliated with the project to buy the property for a set purchase price, Braud said.
The purchase price for the nine properties is about $15.6 million.
The property owners have also agreed to second-option purchase prices for another six or 12 months if the city or developers do not buy the property, Braud said.
The property owners for the well-known Broadway businesses John Henry’s, Lazar’s Bazar and Taco Time have agreed to the city’s first-purchase agreement. Braud said it is hard to say what will happen to all the businesses in the neighborhood if the property is purchased, but the city intends to work with them.
Braud said the request will be issued within the next week or two, and the city hopes to know how much developer interest exists within the next two or three months after that.
The Urban Renewal Agency is looking for concepts that will include density and high-quality urban design and that will revitalize downtown and contribute to activity and vitality along Broadway.
Contact the city, state politics reporter at [email protected]