The Register Guard recently reported that the State of Oregon has given Eugene approximately $200k to clean up the city in advance of the Olympic Trials.

This has been fantastic, and has discouraged graffiti “artists” from polluting sidewalks and signs in parks. It has also impacted Eugene citizens’ perception of their city, and city leadership. Temporarily at least.

All for $200k. I encourage the City of Eugene to make this type of cleanup a long term commitment. Part of a long term plan to renew the city. For all the millions being spent on wooded acreage that the elite 5% of the city uses (and a good thing it’s not all residents, or it would fall to ruin), the city could take a small % of those city/county/state $ each year and maintain the resources closest to residents.

Thank you Olympic Committee and the State of Oregon!

Popularity: 31% [?]

…Left home at 10:15PM, walked out into night of the living dead.

Spooky! I’m not a drug buyer or seller, yelling obscenities at strangers, mentally ill, or running from the law or my family, so…I don’t really fit in.

I want to fit in, but I think I’m just too nice. I don’t yell obscenities unless it’s at my cats.

Another thing I’ve discovered..I think these people don’t like scrabble!

Hmm, I don’t see the law anywhere. I heard that they’re afraid of being sued and socially flogged by a fringe political group being financed by an anarchist named “bob”..

..ah well. Heading back now to hide in my pillow for another night…

Maybe I’ll draft a letter;

“Oh city leaders…can’t we do better? or are we really just animals inside? Is ‘embracing diversity’ another way of saying I can never be special to you?? One more night and I’m packing my bags and leaving you for good. It’s not you, it’s me. I’m sorry.”

Popularity: 33% [?]

The Register Guard reported on Saturday that the Nike store will be moving to Oakway Center. More great news for Oakway!

McKay Investment Company has done a very good job of revitalizing an area that could have easily turned into one big ugly strip mall. Over the past 15 years they have consistently set the bar high through clever deal-making, and by poaching potential merchants from 5th St and elsewhere.

If only the City Council or Mayor could strike those kinds of deals on behalf of Downtown Eugene, the downtown city streets might have more to offer.

Popularity: 27% [?]

(Guest Blogger Cam McNeeley)

It’s the BREW part II! Tonight…

Still confused about exactly what we did and didn’t vote for?! We are too!

Come to the BrewHaHa!

What happens next with Eugene’s downtown?

Hosted by Bus Project of Lane Co and Eugene Weekly

Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Davis’ Restaurant
94 w. broadway.

A monthly non-partisan, interactive, in your face political slam.

This month:
Since measure 20-134 was shot down, many community members have been wondering what’s next for the downtown pits.

Our October downtown debate pulled in more than 90 attendees.

This month we are not looking to have as much of a debate on the issue, but to instead have a community discussion on the next steps. We’ll be inviting 5-6 panelists in the hopes that they can shed some light on the project ahead.

Speaker invites include developers, local architects, U of O Professors, and possibly even a student who has been following the issue.

So come on down to DOWNTOWN and VOICE your opinion over a few PINTS!

Popularity: 30% [?]

We are one day away from finding out if Eugene is committed to investing in a Downtown that is a comfortable place for ALL citizens to enjoy, or if voters plan to stifle the planning and effort that has gone into this project in order to create more giant pits for us to make fun of. If it passes, I will miss that.

When you vote in the poll below make sure you vote for what you believe the outcome of measure 20-134 to be, not what you want the outcome to be. There is a difference.

May the masses demonstrate both wisdom and competency!

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Popularity: 34% [?]

Hello Real Estate Lovers!

I am guest blogging on Eugene-Real-Estate to let you know about the upcoming “BREWHAHA” happening downtown next Tuesday. Get ready for a lively debate over the two land use measures on the ballot:

Measure 20-134: Downtown Urban Renewal Plan

Panelists: Mayor Kitty Piercy and City Council member Bonnie Bettman

Measure 49: Land use measure to fix 37

Panelists: Ashley Miller from “Yes on 49” and Matthew Green-Hite from “Fix Measure 49″

Come on down, enjoy a nice refreshing beverage and hear both sides to make your own decisions.

Popularity: 44% [?]

Judging by the numbers of homes closing each week in Trulia, and the 6% annual growth rate in Eugene homes prices reported by Zillow, housing prices and demand for homes in Eugene remains strong.

What’s most interesting to those who follow the local real estate market and home listings, is how Eugene is both resilient to the national housing slump and changing almost monthly:

• Sub-prime lending in Eugene does not compare with the level of sub-prime lending that took place in larger, more exposed and inflationary markets. The vast majority of Eugene homeowners have been conservative about their borrowing, and local lenders conservative about who gets the money.
• The City is finally doing something about downtown - a complete renovation of West Broadway.
• The City is getting serious about the need for another large hospital to handle population growth.
• Phil Knight just donated $100 Million for a new basketball stadium.
• The airport is getting another runway.
• Eugene will host the summer Olympic Trials next year.
• Pottery Barn is opening in the North. There will soon be a new REI in the South. PF Changs opened this year as well.

When you live here it’s easy to take these changes for granted, but the way all of these developments have arrived at once says something about where Eugene is headed. Opportunity and change are happening right in front of us. Both elements are needed to ensure a vital real estate market, and a strong local economy.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Last night the Eugene City Council adopted an ordinance to move forward with amending the urban renewal plan. The changes will allow the city to use funds from the BEDI and brownfield grant and loan guarantee program to purchase properties for future development.

As usual, the Bettman-Taylor bureaucracy attempted to put a stop to any sort of progress when it comes to attacking the problems facing the urban renewal district downtown. Instead of debating the issue of what happens to the BEDI funds if the City DOESN’T allocate them to a project that purchases the pits downtown (use it or lose it?), this hearing became a debate about whether the KWG-Beam development is good for Eugene.

The term “obstructionist” came up a lot, moreso from both Bettman and Taylor in defending their positions that little development and no bold investment is better than a KWG-Beam plan.

Another complaint levied by Bettman and Taylor; that the debate is being stymied and manipulated by the City Manager’s office. Bettman implied this several times without actually saying it in a way that the City Manager could assertively challenge it.

Counselor Clark helped bring to light what should have been obvious to many who attended - that while tens of thousands of postcards were sent out by the planning and development office, only 22 citizens arrived at the hearing to debate the future of downtown. The public debate wasn’t being squelched by the City Manager’s office, on the contrary, it was being squelched by a great many people in Eugene who could care less about the future of downtown Eugene.

Bettman, to her credit, is very effective about holding the purse strings tight and staff accountable. I believe though that for her style of politics to work there needs to be stronger leadership from either the Mayor or other counselors to ensure that people who get things done for this city aren’t constantly put on the defensive. These are the only people who seem to want to accomplish big things for downtown Eugene. Also, somebody or some group needs to hold the counsel to the same standards of communication and leadership that Bettman demands of the city departments and manager.

The best part of the evening was when “Trix” did his usual standup routine about jumping into the pits and coming together for a great downtown. If he’s lucky he might become our next mayor..he sets his sites high every time he shows up, and delivers!

To see Trix in action, along the rest of the comments, you can watch the video here.

If you are a Eugene resident or involved in Eugene real estate I highly encourage you to get involved in this process. Downtown real estate may change forever in the coming 2-3 years.

Popularity: 9% [?]