West Broadway Advisory Committee Final Report

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i Survey of Tenants in Redevelopment Area August 15, 2007 Page 6 ~ • Make a decision that has vested public interest to maintain certain kinds of use. The [people] we serve need to be downtown, at the heart of the city. ...they need the ~ activity of downtown if we are going to save them. Places like the Tango Center and the galleries need to be preserved. Outdoor pavilions and outdoor spaces, organize it so that ~ everybody can enjoy it. Make it attractive to all income levels. Public tax money to 1 maintain a place for all, growing the markets for all business, not steal it from others. • First Don't tear ANYTHING else down before the spaces are set in stone. I hope that the ~ Construction project itself would be done in'stages. With the proposed plan, there are some major demolition projects (i.e. tearing down two blocks worth of buildings)then - hopefully- construction. I do understand that construction done all at once is better for timelines and costs, but, the least impact on existing business's would be to build up the vacant buildings first, then move the business's that wish to be relocated into those finished buildings then work on the newly vacated buildings. Opposition to the redevelopment project • The first thing the City should do is stop what they are doing. It is harmful to the life of ~ West Broadway, and Eugene, in every imaginable way. They should initiate a growth ~ plan for the area, and funding for people and organizations, rather than frighten us all half ~ to death with montrous, sterile, idea-poor mega-projects. If the City insists upon being insensitive, and continuing the bad track record of their Urban Renewal-style projects, they should pay reparations to all the businesses and non-profits. It cost about $1 million in sweat equity and cash to get [our location] to where it is today. But will all the tenants get such fair treatment? Of course not, because .this level of reparation for all, would ~ essentially stop KWG's destructive plan from pencilling out. Clearly the City is willing to guarantee the bottom-line of an uncreative, profit-hungry Portland speculative developer, but is unwilling to support Eugene's own creative class. • Don't do it. Gentrifying downtown, at public subsidy, delocalizing the district, for non- locals to live, and national high end retailers, doesn't make sense. It's rebuilding I downtown into mall anywhere for non-Eugenians. Why? For future property taxes? Support local. It'smore difficult, but it's sustainable. And once you set this precedent, I how many other crummy parts of Eugene do you start committing to give just the same assistance. And where are the numbers? • leave us alone i . I ~ ' .