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will be completed by December 23. The Library will open for public use on Thursday, December 26, 2002. The formal public dedication of the project and grand opening event will be held on January 11, 2003. LOccupancy of Phase Two (the fourth floor) is anticipated to occur on Friday, January 17, 2003. Staff from Finance and Information Services Division are scheduled to begin moving on that date and should be completely moved in by mid- March. Staff will continue to work closely with Hyland Construction to monitor and verify the accuracy of the occupancy dates. In addition to being on schedule, the Library construction project remains within budget. The project is financed through Urban Renewal Agency funding, the sale of the current library facility and other City property, and five million dollars of private donations raised by the Eugene Public Library Foundation through its Capital Campaign,which is nearing its conclusion. For additional information or to tour the project site, please contact Brad Black, Project Manager, at 682-8354. Preliminary Master Site Plan for Eugene Depot to Be Presented June 6 The North End Scoping Group (NESG)will meet Thursday, June 6, to review and comment on the preliminary master site plan for the planned rehabilitation of the historic Eugene train station. The meeting,from 4 to 6:30 p.m. in the Sloat Room at the Atrium, is open to the public and will include a consultant's presentation from 4 to 5 p.m. That will be followed by a period from 5 to 5:30 p.m.when interested persons can join members of the NESG to comment on specific aspects of the master plan, including traffic circulation, parking, and historic and open space features. Following the break-out sessions, the NESG will reconvene to provide direction to the design team and staff on the master site plan. A consultant group headed by Eric Gunderson and WBGS Architects has been working on the master site plan to provide % conceptual framework for rehabilitating the 95-year-old train station and creating a multi-modal"Eugene Depot"at the Worth end of Willamette Street to serve the increasing number of people using the improved passenger rail services in the Pacific Northwest high-speed rail corridor. The plan as currently envisioned also includes the possibility of locating Greyhound bus service to the depot area, as well as improved facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. At the same time, City staff has continued to pursue acquisition of the train station property and obtain funding approval for the purchase through state and federal agencies. Staff and consultants currently are determining the fair market value in order for the City to make a revised purchase offer in the next month. Meanwhile, a number of procedural issues have been resolved with the various state and federal funding and permitting agencies that should result in a smoother process for the construction phase once the master site plan has been accepted and property acquisition is accomplished. Current plans call for actual renovation work on the train station building to begin in summer 2003 and be substantially completed in 2004. For more information, contact Dave Reinhard, Transportation Engineer, at 682-5233, or Russ Mecredy, Project Manager, at 682-6024. Pilot Project Aimed at Providing More Park Coverage In an effort to reduce illegal activity and provide expanded public service,the Parks and Open Space Division of Public Works will begin staffing parks from 3:30 to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. This expanded coverage will enable staff to better respond to park issues, including illegal activity, evening rentals and facility maintenance. The pilot project,which will run through September 7, is being staffed by reassigning two existing employees to a swing shift. No additional funding or resources are needed. Parks maintenance staff proposed this pilot project in response to an increase in vandalism, graffiti and illegal camping in nark restrooms after parks are closed. The swing shift will ensure that staff is available to clean and lock park restrooms EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 May 30,2002 cc020530.wpd