Bettman pushed UO site as hospital backup.

Byline: DEVELOPMENT REPORT By Joe Harwood The Register-Guard

A last-minute attempt to will into existence a suitable downtown Eugene location for a hospital touched off a fast-moving rumor last week that had McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center moving to the University of Oregon's Riverfront Research Park.

The 24-acre tract at the center of the buzz, nestled between the Willamette River and the railroad tracks north of Franklin Boulevard, initially came up for consideration in 2003 when Triad Hospitals Inc., McKenzie-Willamette's majority owner, first started searching for hospital sites.

Triad and city officials at that time discarded the location, citing the potential for opposition from groups who don't want the southern riverbank developed. Also, at the time, the university wasn't interested in parting with the property.

After another look, Triad officials learned that a good portion of the land would have to be left as riparian buffers and other set-asides, resulting in a net of about 15 acres for actual development, officials said. Triad wants a minimum of 25 acres for the $225 million hospital it hopes to build in Eugene.

"Once you get to that 15-acre level, that is below their comfort zone," said Eugene City Manager Dennis Taylor. "They are talking about a 50- to 100-year commitment."

Triad is proceeding with planning a hospital in north Eugene, on part of what is now RiverRidge Golf Course.

Rumors suggesting the research park as a hospital site have been circulating since mid-December. Then last Tuesday, Eugene City Councilor Bonny Bettman started circulating an e-mail that listed the benefits of drawing Triad to the research park.

Those benefits include single ownership of the site; its location south of the river; the site's location inside an urban renewal district; and its proximity to existing medical offices. But the property just doesn't seem to be big enough.

The UO's Web site lists the size of the parcel at 51.9 acres, but more than half of that is under the river. University officials declined to comment to The Register-Guard.

A Bettman e-mail to Mayor Kitty Piercy expresses the hope of using the research park property as a "Plan B" if the north Eugene site doesn't work out.

"Nothing would please me more than for this to become a serious option for the hospital site," Piercy wrote back.

Borrowing a line from Star Trek, Bettman responded, "It is in your hands. You have the power to make it so."

Bettman and Piercy did not return calls from The Register-Guard.

McKenzie-Willamette spokeswoman Rosie Pryor said the hospital is not considering the research park. She said the hospital is moving forward with plans to build on 42 acres at RiverRidge.

The hospital has submitted an annexation request for 32 of those acres to the Lane County Local Government Boundary Commission. Also, the hospital has hired a transportation engineer. And the hospital has dubbed the north Eugene site "Delta Ridge."

Pryor said that Glenwood remains the sole backup location for McKenzie-Willamette should the hospital be unable to secure land use approvals.

Development Report runs Tuesdays. To suggest items, contact Joe Harwood at 338-2364 or [e-mail].