The City of Eugene received a $600,000 donation earlier this month from Arlie & Co., a locally based land development business, which will be used to expand the city’s park system that, according to city officials, suffers a $1.6 million shortfall in annual operation costs.
Arlie & Co.’s contribution completes a pledge originally made by the business in 2008 when the City of Eugene purchased 200 acres of land south of Lane Community College. The donation was postponed because of the effects of the recession, which forced Arlie & Co. to file for reorganization under Chapter 11 bankruptcy law last year.
On Jan. 4, as a way of assisting Arlie & Co. in fulfilling their donation commitment, city officials purchased an additional 316 acres from the business in the same location. Costing about $2 million, the price is much lower in comparison to the $3 million spent on the 200 acres two years ago, and will help Arlie & Co. as it begins to rebound from its losses.
“We are in the process of reemerging from reorganization and just filed a plan last week,” said Sadie Dressekie, a Arlie & Co. spokesperson. “But even in the last few months, we’ve seen a few more contracts. It really feels like things are beginning to pick up.”
The latest sale enlarges the city’s new park south of LCC — now aptly titled “Suzanne Arlie Park” — to more than 500 acres, making it the largest recreational area in Eugene. Over the next few years, the city will work to convert the land into a functioning park, first adding trails and eventually grass fields and facilities.
Teresa Bishow, Arlie & Co.’s planning director, said development will happen, but not rapidly. “Slowly over time we will see it, and students entering as freshmen this year will see the improvements by the time they graduate.”
As for Arlie & Co.’s donation, the money has gone into a reserve fund that the city will use to eventually buy more land in the Santa Clara neighborhood of North Eugene. The city hopes to create a community park in the region and is in the process of identifying available land.
However, some park users are hesitant to support further additions to the system. Instead, they would like to see more money spent to improve the existing areas. According to a recent press release, approximately $15 million in backlogged maintenance and repairs has yet to be addressed.
Maurica Powell, a resident of Eugene for the last five years and a University volunteer assistant cross country coach, said she takes her two kids to different city parks almost every day. While she views parks as a great investment, she considers their upkeep to be a much higher priority for the city.
“The parks we have are awesome, but we don’t have a shortage of parks, so I think we should spend more money to repair the ones we already have,” Powell said. “My biggest concern is the bathrooms; at some parks they’re gross, and at others they just don’t have bathrooms. So I think improving that would be a nice gesture.”
[email protected]