Council asks for City Hall designs.

Byline: Edward Russo The Register-Guard

The Eugene City Council on Wednesday ordered conceptual designs be drawn for a new City Hall on its present block, as well as one a block away, near the Hilton Eugene and Hult Center for Performing Arts.

The unanimous decision doesn't mean the council has decided to actually build a new seat of municipal government on either of those blocks in the near future, just that it wants architects to study building concepts for each site.

"This is the first point in the project where we will take all the data that we have been gathering in the last nine months and begin the conceptual design process," said Jonah Cohen, a principal with Thomas Hacker Architects.

Besides the current City Hall block bounded by East Seventh and East Eighth avenues and Pearl and High streets, Cohen and other architects in the Portland-based firm will spend the next month analyzing the pros and cons of building on Lane County's "butterfly" parking lot west of the Lane County Courthouse and three adjacent private properties. The private parcels have buildings that house Rock N Rodeo, a barbershop, an art gallery and architect offices.

Cohen told councilors that both sites are "compelling." The City Hall full block provides more land to build on, he said, but the half-block containing the L-shaped parcel now owned by the county and three private owners would require greater building density, which is a city goal.

The council has decided to build a new $100 million-plus City Hall downtown rather than renovate the current building, which architects estimated would cost between $128 million to $135 million to renovate and expand. To renovate the building without expanding it to accommodate the consolidation of city offices or future growth in city government would cost $50 million, including seismic upgrades, according to estimates gathered by city staff.

The 42-year-old pillar-supported building is considered vulnerable to earthquakes and too small for current and future needs of city government, which has offices scattered throughout downtown.

Mike Penwell, manager in the city's facilities division, said he met with Lane County Commissioners Anna Morrison and Bill Dwyer to talk about the butterfly lot as a potential location for a new City Hall.

"They are willing to listen to anything the city might propose," Penwell said. "But everyone present agreed that it would need to be mutually beneficial to both organizations and a benefit to the community."

The city-hired team of architects and consultants originally wanted the council to eliminate all but two or three of 26 possible downtown sites. But after talking about the subject for 90 minutes, councilors declined to take any possible location off the table while instructing architects to develop conceptual designs for the two sites.

Some councilors were interested in keeping the city-owned property at West 10th Avenue and Charnelton Street, across the street from the Public Library, in the running.

Last Friday, the city received three proposals from Portland developers to build housing and commercial spaces on the West 10th Avenue property, which used to have a Sears store.

"If one of these proposals becomes a reality, that would be stunning," Councilor David Kelly said.

Councilors agreed that if the West 10th Avenue property remains undeveloped, then it could be considered as a City Hall site.

Which site councilors ultimately will select later this year as their favorite remains uncertain.

"We are sitting on the best site right now," Councilor Chris Pryor said.

Councilor Gary Pape noted that the half-block that contains the butterfly lot, Rock N Rodeo and two other privately owned buildings is adjacent to the Park Blocks and across the street from the Hult Center. "The butterfly lot is looking better to me," he said.

Councilor George Poling urged city staff to contact the private property owners so they'll know what the city is considering. If the council decides to pursue the site but the owners refuse to sell, "We would have to back up and start all over again," he said.

The council's preference to study the City Hall block and "butterfly" lot/private properties site reflects the views of a majority of residents who last month shared their opinions about the 26 possible building sites.

In a poll, the two sites gathered 54 votes apiece from residents, tied for first among the potential locations.

A combination of the West 10th Avenue site and parcels along Broadway came in second, with 52 votes.