At last, a turning point.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Downtown Eugene never really died. Certain blocks and corners have thrived, a restaurant district and nightclub scene has evolved, and many offices are full of workers. But still, Eugene has spent decades trying to recover from the flight of large retailers to suburban malls. Now downtown is on the verge of becoming a place more focused on the future than the past.

The long cycle of decline and rebirth has fostered cynicism. Urban renewal and a pedestrian mall proved to be an ineffective response to the loss of downtown department stores. Then came a series of fights over reopening streets to traffic - Olive Street, Willamette Street and finally Broadway. The Lane Transit District station, the new library and the federal courthouse, among other public projects, were promoted as catalysts for downtown revitalization. And for years, the vacant storefronts and empty streets invited doubters to ask: "OK, where's the payoff?"

Eugene's refusal to give up on its downtown has actually been paying off all along, but in increments too small and too widely spaced to erase the image of failure. The new U.S. Bank building, Broadway Place and various housing projects in and near the downtown area have demonstrated the appeal of life and commerce in Eugene's urban core.

And now come a couple of projects too big to be missed. One is a redevelopment plan for west Broadway, extending two blocks from the vacant Centre Court building at Willamette Street to the old Norm Thompson store at Charnelton Street, and including the old Bon Marche building. The other is the construction of a Whole Foods grocery store at the east end of Broadway, a project that could also permit the expansion of The Shedd's music education program. Add smaller projects planned or under way, and suddenly there's a lot happening downtown.

Any of these projects could be delayed or killed by changes in economic conditions or other obstacles. But it's plain that Eugene's center is being recognized as a place of opportunity. The long-awaited revitalization will have broad social and economic benefits, and will reward those who never lost confidence in what many long regarded as a lost cause.