Courthouse District Draft Concept Plan

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Existing Conditions Currently, the ideas envisioned in the Landscape and Water element are not in place. 8th Avenue does not provide a connection to the river, much Less an inviting landscaped street. The Millrace flows at the surface east of downtown, through land owned by the University of Oregon and private owners. The Millrace flows into a culvert at the south end of Ferry. Street, and remains in a pipe, six feet below the ground. The alignment of the piped portion is not visible until the outfall, on the EWEB property, just. south of the EWEB Headquarters building. Of these ideas, the Millrace, at the heart of the Concept Plan, requires the most imagination. Millrace I~ossibilities A dream of daylighting the Millrace must address a series of interrelated, practical questions: Design Parameters Is this. a Millrace for boats? How wide is it? Does it provide places to stroll and sit alongside? What places does the Millrace connect? What shape does it take? A Millrace designed as a recreational amenity does not recreate the historic Millrace, but reinterprets it. How does the Millrace design allow an understanding of this early layer of our city's history? Environmental Impact How much land needs to be disturbed? How could the Millrace work with the existing topography, especially given the drop required to go under the railroad tracks? What is the potential impact on flood levels? Will salmon be affected? Are there opportunities for stormwater cleansing or incorpo- rating rainwater from roofs? What is the regula- tory context, including federal and state environ- mental agencies, and how might this affect design and timing? How might the Millrace function as an environmental teaching tool? Page 18 Existing Millrace near Patterson Street. Diagram of existing topography indicating high and low areas of the riverbank.