2007 Lane County Federal Priorities

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Fec~era~Priorities 2007 T'rans~ortation Franklin Boulevard Corridor Study Request The City of Springfield seeks $1.5 million to fund required environmental documentation and to complete preliminary design for the Franklin Boulevard urban standards upgrade project in Glenwood. The project will include increased capacity, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, improved intersection configurations, provision for EmX bus rapid transit, underground utilities, and street amenities. The project is essential to the success of the Glenwood Riverfront Redevelopment Area. Background Glenwood is a distinct area of about one square mile. It is centrally located to the downtown work centers of both Eugene and Springfield, is less than one mile from the University of Oregon, and provides direct access to Interstate 5. In 2005, voters approved the formation of an urban renewal district to guide Glenwood area redevelopment. The urban renewal agency, Springfield Economic Development Agency (SEDA), has targeted the Glenwood Riverfront Area as the first-priority redevelopment location within Glenwood. The intent is to redevelop the riverfront into a vibrant urban neighborhood providing a mix of retail, office, and housing. Franklin Boulevard (OR 1268, McKenzie Highway) bisects Glenwood and forms the southern border of the .Riverfront Area. The City installed a main trunk sewer line in 2005, and Lane Transit District has also made improvements, most recently with their EmX bus rapid transit system. The City has begun a facility planning study for Franklin Boulevard in Glenwood between Interstate 5 on the west and the Springfield Bridges to the east. The study will develop a preferred urban standards concept for Franklin Boulevard and include an upgrade to the intersection with McVay Highway. The Oregon Department of Transportation, Lane County, and Lane Transit District are project partners. Current Status The Springfield Economic Development Agency (SEDA) has completed the request for qualifications (RFQ) and the request for proposals (RFP) efforts to select a master developer for the Glenwood Riverfront Area. SEDA is now in the process of negotiating a development agreement to guide both public and private investments that are necessary to make the riverfront redevelopment vision a tangible reality. In a parallel process, the City of Springfield is underway with the facility refinement study that is necessary to set up a successful National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation for build alternatives for both Franklin Boulevard and the Franklin/McVay intersection. The refinement study will be complete by Summer 2008. This request will carry the project into the subsequent NEPA documentation and preliminary design phase of project development, which is a necessary step in the process to rebuild Franklin Boulevard. 6