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Business Loans Create Local ~~~:
<br />Jobs
<br />:~
<br />Over $1.2 million was loaned last year
<br />through the Business Development
<br />Fund, available to new and existing ,.
<br />Eugene businesses that are creating ~ ~,~
<br />jobs, and the Emerging Business '' ~`
<br />Loan Pool, which is targeted to assist '.x. ~ `
<br />businesses that face extraordinary ''~, ~ .,
<br />credit barriers.. The two programs, ~~,~ ~"
<br />funded by the City's federal Community ' '
<br />Development Block Grant, made 10 1
<br />loans creating 52 new jobs at these ;•
<br />local businesses: Carmen's Chips, Due
<br />Donne, F1oraGenex, Harlequin Beads ~~
<br />t~~
<br />and Jewelry, Hartwick's, Heli-Tech, ;T ;
<br />Green Gear Cycling (maker of Bike ~,
<br />Friday), Ninkasi Brewery, Oakpatch
<br />Gifts, and Willamette Brewery.
<br />Turtle Creek Adds
<br />Affordable Housing
<br />Turtle Creek Apartments,
<br />27 units of affordable rental
<br />housing owned and operated ~ '
<br />~`~ ~.
<br />by the Lane County Housing _ .
<br />and Community Services ~ ~"
<br />Agency, was constructed at ^ [ __ .._
<br />the Walnut Grove landbank ~ ~x;~_
<br />site off the NW Expressway
<br />near Maxwell Road. The
<br />development includes two- and ~~ ~~ -
<br />three- bedroom townhouses,
<br />with two units fully accessible for persons with
<br />disabilities, The units are affordable to households
<br />below 50% of area median income. In addition, 20
<br />single-family lots on the site will be sold for market
<br />rate housing with the income to be used to acquire
<br />future landbanking sites. The 40-acre Walnut Grove
<br />site was purchased in 1989 from the University of
<br />Oregon for $203,000. When this final development
<br />phase is complete, the site will include a total of 100
<br />affordable units developed by several local affordable
<br />housing developers.
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<br />Airport Expands Services
<br />Anewaircargobuildingwasconstructed
<br />on the south end of the Eugene
<br />Airport. Funding for this project came
<br />from ConnectOregon, a lottery-based
<br />~, i initiative to invest in air, rail, marine
<br />~. ~: ~ ~ ~' ~ and transit infrastructure. On the air
<br />~,,, ~ ~' travel side, Allegiant Air began new,
<br />~;~, ~~ nonstop jet-service to Las Vegas in
<br />May. With the addition of the low-cost,
<br />' high-efficiency carrier, five airlines now
<br />~, I
<br />serve the Eugene Airport. Also, service
<br />~~~ t to Los Angeles was expanded by two
<br />~ ,' ~ carriers. Horizon Air added a daily
<br />;.-
<br />nonstop flight to Los Angeles in June
<br />and Delta Air Lines began non-stop
<br />service in July The Eugene Airport
<br />also expanded customer services. New
<br />volunteer Airport Navigators help travelers with
<br />community information and directions, and live
<br />music now greets airport visitors on Fridays.
<br />~ Projects Improve
<br />Transportation System
<br />=- A $3.3 million project to
<br />.improve River Avenue anc~
<br />/ bring it up to City standards
<br />~ was completed this year.
<br />j~j i~- ~. The street design was a
<br />collaborative effort involving
<br />- residents, businesses and
<br />_ , ..~~ representatives from local
<br />neighborhood groups and
<br />the Eugene Bike Coalition. Meanwhile, work began
<br />in July on the second phase of street improvements
<br />in the new downtown courthouse district, designed
<br />to strengthen the connection with the rest of
<br />downtown. The $4 million project is a cooperative
<br />effort involving the Ciry of Eugene, Oregon
<br />Department of Transportation, Lane County, and
<br />the federal government.
<br />Hult Center Celebrates 25 years
<br />for all ages, including many ! .~
<br />free performances, continued ~ ;; ~;~~>
<br />through the summer bringing , F :'~'- ''~
<br />more than 10,500 guests to , ~ n r , ; Z ~-. , '
<br />Challenging the a~ay gyve live means .. .
<br />Since 1978, Eugene's Community Gardens
<br />Program has been offering residents the
<br />opportunity to grow their own food.
<br />Today, the City operates six pesticide-free
<br />community gardens that provide over 260
<br />plots for urban gardeners.
<br />Technology Enhances Services
<br />Technology helped provide
<br />' greater benefit and customer
<br />access to library, recreation
<br />and cultural services and
<br />programs. Free wi-fi, already
<br />available at libraries and the
<br />_ Hult Center, was added at
<br />~-~ . ' Amazon Pool. Hult ticketing
<br />,~,
<br />` kiosk hours were extended
<br />` ~«~ and public online library
<br />w
<br />~ : resources were expanded.
<br />t ~" "' ~ ~ ~~`> F;~ An existin assisted listenin
<br />the center. Celebrating Hult °~. k ,~ ~ g g
<br />~. , ; ~_
<br />25 cuhninated in September ~ " -~- `""" system (ALS) in the
<br />with a gala dinner and free performance featuring Hult Center was expanded to the lobby and a
<br />the Hult's eight resident companies. portable ALS was purchased for Ciry departments'
<br />_ use at public meetings and outdoor
<br />Eugene Prepares to Host I
<br />Olympic Trials I
<br />Hosting the 2008 Olympic Track &
<br />Field Team Trials on June 28 July
<br />6, 2008, provides an outstanding
<br />opportunity to enhance Eugene's
<br />arts and outdoors resources and to
<br />promote the community's unique
<br />assets to national and international
<br />I,
<br />audiences. The Ciry of Eugene is a
<br />key partner working collaboratively
<br />with representatives from the Local '~-
<br />Organizing Committee, University
<br />of Oregon, and other community
<br />partners and volunteers on all aspects
<br />of the preparations including security,
<br />transportation, entertainment, youth activities,
<br />community involvement, sustainability, diversity, and
<br />promotion.
<br />events.
<br />Cultural Review Moves to
<br />Implementation
<br />In July 2007, the Eugene Ciry
<br />Council unanimously accepted the
<br />recommendations in the Cultural
<br />Policy Review (CPR) Report. The
<br />report, which was the culmination
<br />of a public process involving more
<br />than 3,000 community members
<br />and groups, identifies priorities
<br />for strengthening Eugene's
<br />arts and culture. Forming a
<br />community alliance and funding an
<br />endowment dedicated to cultural
<br />orgamzattons are the first tasks of the CPR
<br />Implementation Team that began .meeting in
<br />October.
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