UO Eyes Franklin Consultant's proposal would mean big buildings. BY ALAN PITTMAN The UO may buy up and perhaps condemn property along Franklin for a grandiose redevelopment scheme that would line the boulevard with buildings up to nine stories tall, if it follows the recommendations of its development consultant. Consultant Abe Farkas, the former director of Eugene's Planning Department, recommended that the UO aggressively pursue redevelopment of Franklin Boulevard into an urban "university village" with a new basketball arena, parking garages, a hotel and convention center and mixed-use retail/housing buildings. The UO should first pursue partnerships and sales with property owners to redevelop the area, "or if absolutely necessary, eminent domain, to better secure its interests in their future redevelopment," the report states. In a cover memorandum last month, UO Provost John Moseley and Finance Director Frances Dyke explain, "the report is not a 'development plan' endorsed by the university." But UO officials did work with Farkas on the report and the memo describes it as providing "critical information and ideas" for its expansion to the east. The expansion could dramatically change the mission and role of the UO in the community from a public education institution to a major developer of private commercial real estate. The UO expansion offers a lot the public could like. The "strategy report" envisions making Franklin more pedestrian friendly and redeveloping the central area in a vibrant urban, more walkable and busable form that would help meet city goals of fighting traffic congestion and sprawl with density. But the report's development strategy also faces significant hurdles and contains many things the public might not like. • A drawing includes a new highway along the banks of the Willamette River, a car bridge across the river and large buildings and retail/restaurants along the riverfront. Development of the park-like area near the Autzen footbridge has faced strong opposition from UO students, staff and Eugene citizens. Citizen opposition to a new car bridge and road through Alton Baker Park has also been strong. • The Fairmount neighborhood east of the UO has complained of speeding traffic for years. The arena and major redevelopment of Franklin would likely cause major traffic and parking impacts, changing the character of the older neighborhood. • Using condemnation for private development, as the plan envisions as possible, is highly controversial. • The UO controls two large chunks of property along the south side of Franklin, the Williams Bakery site proposed for the new arena and the former Romania dealership. But other key sites in the area are owned by private businesses and speculators who may not be willing to cooperate with redevelopment or sell at a price the UO is willing to pay. • The report envisions a pedestrian friendly area, but that might be hard to achieve. Most big arenas have big blank walls and traffic impacts that make walking unattractive and dangerous. Franklin Boulevard is a 120-ft. wide highway with 30,000 vehicles a day surrounded by parking lots, and is not pedestrian and biker friendly. The state controls Franklin as a state highway and has in the past refused changes to make it more pedestrian, bus and bike friendly that would reduce car capacity. A proposed new I-5/Franklin interchange could increase traffic. • The study did not include a market analysis of whether such intense development in the area would make financial sense. • The study also did not evaluate to what degree Franklin development could compete for limited redevelopment money, retailers and customers with efforts to redevelop downtown. Tom Connor and Don Woolley, the development partnership that has proposed a $165 redevelopment downtown, also has extensive holdings on Franklin. The report sites them as potential partner in developing a convention center. • If the UO fails to redevelop the major property it owns quickly, it could blight the area with vacant buildings that will reduce adjacent business and property values. • The plan envisions using taxpayer subsidies for the redevelopment through urban renewal districts and other means. Urban renewal districts are controversial because they divert tax revenue from already struggling schools and state and local government services, often to increase developer profits. The UO has said it may use proceeds from its proposed sale of its Westmoreland family housing complex for projects on Franklin, but the sale is very controversial. • Redevelopment plans could disrupt or force out popular on Franklin such as the Market of Choice grocery and Hirons. Despite the many obstacles/problems, the Farkas report says they can be largely overcome through careful planning and partnerships with the city and businesses.
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