After a long process with the Eugene City Council, the University now owns a portion of Moss Street between East 15th and 17th avenues. The University plans to build more parking spaces, more lighting and three charging stations for electric cars in the two-block area.
The University applied to buy the street from the city in May 2010, but not until last autumn did the city begin public hearings before approving the purchase in December. The University took ownership of the street, which cost $1.86 million, on Jan. 17.
Gregg Lobisser, assistant vice president for capital projects at the University, said the Moss Street project is related to construction on the East Campus Residence Hall (now called Global Scholars Residence Hall), which displaced 311 parking spaces in 2009.
“When you displace parking, you must replace it,” Lobisser said.
Moss Street will provide 94 of the 311 parking spaces needed. Current parking along the street will be replaced by several sections of head-in parking spaces similar to the parking along University Street. Other parking has been added to Villard Alley between East 15th and 17th avenues as well as in the Walnut Station parking lot on East 15th Avenue and Walnut Street. Combined, these parking projects cost $3 million, which includes the $1.86 million to buy the portion of Moss Street.
The parking projects were also part of an agreement between the city and the University to provide 2,085 parking spaces within a quarter-mile of Matthew Knight Arena,@@do all those parking projects add more or just replace the 311 lost?@@ according to Emily Eng, University planning associate. @@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=Emily+Eng@@
Eng also said that the Moss Street Children’s Center has also played a large role in the project. Becky Lamoureux,@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=Becky+Lamoureux@@ director of Moss Street Children’s Center, said the University’s department of planning, public policy and management collaborated with the parent council at the center to improve safety on the street.
“Everybody involved with the project has come in to the Moss Street Children’s Center and shown us the plan to see what we think of it,” Lamoureux said.
Eng said the plan includes more drop-off parking in front of the center so parents and children don’t have to cross the street as much. Speed bumps and a painted crosswalk at East 17th Avenue and Moss Street are also included in the plan. The University will add more lights in front of the center if it fits within the budget, she said.
The next step is for the project’s drawings to be approved by the city for a building permit. Eng expects a permit by the end of this month.