• A second, smaller cohousing project is forming downtown while the more ambitious Oakleigh Meadow project off River Road continues, despite legal delays. Eugene Cohousing Downtown will have 15 to 20 adult housing condos, plus ground-floor parking and commercial spaces, and will not be seeking planning variances or applying for city tax breaks. The site is a mostly vacant lot on the west side of Lincoln Street between Broadway and 10th Avenue, next to Lincoln Terrace. Unlike Oakleigh Meadow, the downtown units will be designed for adults 55 and older and cater to an urban lifestyle with easy walking access to downtown amenities and public transportation. Cohousing is a way for collaborative-minded people to join together to create private living units with common areas and facilities for group meals and other social interaction. The Oakleigh Meadow project along the Willamette River has been delayed, but is still viable and looking for new members, including families with children. “We’re aiming to break ground in spring of 2018,” says Will Dixon of Oakleigh. National Cohousing Open House Day is Saturday, April 29, and local events are planned. Contact Oakleigh Meadow at 541-514-1176 or wcd@willardcdixon.com. Eugene Cohousing Downtown will have a meeting 3 pm, Saturday. Call 541-344-5751 or email ljseymour@gmail.com for location.
• A town hall for landlords, property managers and tenants will be from 1 to 2:30 pm Sunday, April 30, at Willamette High School, 1801 Echo Hollow Road. Topic is HB 2004, which deals with eviction rules and rent stabilization. State Sen. James Manning will lead the discussion. Call 330-933-1968 for more information.
• The city of Eugene has contracted with Social Bicycles to provide bike share equipment, operate the program for the first five years (at its own expense) and be responsible for lining up business underwriting to support the program. SoBi provides Portland’s bike share, with Nike as lead sponsor. As the very first event of “May Is Bike Month,” the Eugene Bike Share program will have an open house 4 to 6 pm, Monday, May 1, in the Broadway Commerce Center lobby, 44 West Broadway. The program is slated to launch in time for the start of UO classes in the fall. For more info go to socialbicycles.com.
• Two local nonprofit homegrown internet service providers, efn.org and epud.org, have been sold to PEAK Internet of Corvallis. Starting in May, the affected customers will keep their email addresses but will start getting bills from PEAK. Autopay arrangements will need to be changed. Cost of services will not go up, according to Emerald People’s Utility District. EPUD bought EFN internet services from Oregon Public Networking in 2004 and over the years the utility has had a partnership with PEAK to provide full web services. OPN and EFN started in 1993 as “the first community internet network in the world,” but the nonprofit’s website is inactive and its phone number is disconnected.
• What’s happening with Ocean Sky restaurant at 1601 Chambers? Sources tell us the family style Chinese eatery, which has been in business for 25 years, is for sale and may or may not be closing soon. The owners cannot be reached and the commercial real estate broker who has had the business and land listed for $1.1 million has not responded to a request for information. Restaurant staff can only tell us some changes are in the works. Meanwhile, we recommend the Honey Walnut Chicken. Delish.
• A virtual reality arcade and gaming center called multiVRse opened recently at 1374 Willamette Street and is Eugene’s first VR arcade “where you can experience the newest frontier in entertainment,” according to the owners. Customers can play VR by the hour as individuals or groups. Hours are 3 to 11:30 pm.
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