Downtown finds itself at crossroads.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

The bar was bustling at Jameson's on a recent Friday, especially for a night when the mercury dipped below 30 degrees and it would have been easy enough to just stay at home.

A young crowd lined up for drinks and spilled out of booths and barstools inside the dimly lighted lounge at 115 W. Broadway. Hip-hop played on the stereo.

Earlier in the evening, a rag-tag troupe toting audiovisual equipment made an unscheduled appearance and screened a 2 1/2 -minute art film called "Sneak in and Freak Out."

"Eugene appreciates art," said Rachel Heinz, 28, one of the filmmakers. "I think there needs to be more community involved in art downtown."

As the latest Broadway redevelopment efforts reach a boiling point, the question on many lips is not what will happen to downtown, but what will happen to downtown arts, entertainment and nightlife.

For a city that recently adopted the slogan `The World's Greatest City for the Arts and Outdoors,' it's a valid concern, especially since the same 2 1/4 -block stretch being eyed for redevelopment by developers Tom Connor and Don Woolley, has quietly grown into a nightlife hub.

The stretch of Broadway and Olive Street that lies in the footprint of the proposed $165 million project is home to a jazz club, a dance club and a pair of rock clubs. And there are several bars, a dance center, a film and visual arts center, plus a string of offices for nonprofit organizations.

The developers have made it clear that their project is an all-or-nothing proposition, which means the deal could fall through if even one building owner is unwilling to sell. But if the developers do acquire the buildings they want, most if not all of the existing venues probably will be forced to relocate.

The proposed development would have first-floor shops and restaurants, with condominiums and apartments on the upper floors. The existing nightclubs and bars, which close late at night, would conflict with the residential part of the development, said John Bartel, vice president and general manager of OPUS Northwest, the development firm that has partnered with Connor and Woolley.

`(Redevelopment) is the main topic of conversation among everyone who is a resident at 'ground zero,' ' says Greg Bryant, director of the Tango Center.

For bar owner, revival is now

For many downtown venue owners it's an anxious time. John Henry's co-owner Keith Martin believes the city hasn't given Broadway much of a chance since it was reopened to traffic in 2002. The revival of downtown, he argues, is already happening.

"I wonder if these guys have been downtown and gotten a look and seen the vibrant scene that's going on (at night)," Martin said. "We're bringing people down there.

`(We're) definitely in the early stages of something that could be really cool and really big and really good for Eugene."

City Manager Dennis Taylor says he is aware of the vibrancy of downtown nightlife, but says Broadway isn't the only place arts and entertainment can flourish. He says the footprint of downtown Eugene will grow as development happens.

"I see lots of places where people can continue to be adding value to downtown and continue to find places that meet their needs," Taylor said.

But others, such as John Crider of the Jazz Station at 68 W. Broadway, say there's a synergy that's created when venues are located within walking distance to one another.

"That sort of art community growth that comes from being in close proximity is something that might disappear if we're not all in the same place," he said.

Other nearby venues include the Horsehead, 99 W. Broadway, and Luckey's Club Cigar Store, 933 Olive St., the oldest watering hole in the city.

Broadway's newest night spot, a gay-friendly nightclub called SNAFU, opened this year at 55 W. Broadway. The venue takes its name from the development woes happening on Broadway.

Owner Josh Keim says he bought the property in 2002 because it was as close to the heart of the city as he could get.

"There's a bunch of bars down here and they were doing good business, so I decided to put in a bar," he said. "This being a college town, I think it's crucial that there is an area where bars are located so that people can bar hop."

It isn't just bars that occupy the downtown core. The Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts is a 2-year-old art center at 110 W. Broadway that hosts gallery shows, art classes and film screenings. And the 8,000-square-foot Tango Center offers dance classes and weekly Argentinian dance gatherings or "milongas."

There's a certain irony to the existence of nonprofit venues such as DIVA and the Tango Center, 194 W. Broadway, since the buildings they occupy are owned by Connor/Woolley. The developers offer reduced rents and short term leases to these and other nonprofit organizations on Broadway.

"If they build new buildings, nobody will be able to afford the retail space," says Bryant, the Tango Center director. "And (even if we could), we can't be down for two years during construction."

`We create the excitement'

Downtown nonprofit groups are aware their future lies in the hands of developers. But some of these groups argue that developers need arts organizations just as much as arts organizations need landlords who offer cheap rents.

"The real life of the downtown depends a lot on the activity that happens here," says Mary Unruh, executive director of DIVA. "We create the excitement and the activities that people want to be a part of."

It's still unclear whether arts organizations such as DIVA could play a role in the Connor/Woolley plan, but Unruh is actively lobbying on behalf of her organization. Although the developers have ruled out bars and nightclubs, they haven't ruled out arts organizations.

Still, the only arts or entertainment venue mentioned in the Connor/Woolley proposal is a 1,600-seat multiscreen cinema.

James Carroll, owner of Jameson's and co-owner of the Horsehead, says the city would lose something if bars and nightclubs were forced to move. He believes a centralized enter- tainment core is something the city should be trying to support, not tear down.

"I think it gives Eugene an identity," he said. "Just think of Austin (Texas). Austin is known for its club district. ... It brings people together when Eugene has an entertainment district."

Still others view the prospect of relocating as an unavoidable stage in the evolutionary growth of a city. They point to other examples, ranging from Brooklyn to San Francisco, where artists and musicians have moved into an undesirable area, made it fashionable and then found themselves pushed out by higher rents.

"I guess what we're talking about is gentrification," says Steve Remington, former managing director of the Eugene Celebration.

"Do we want it to remain funky, artsy, or do we want it to be gentrified?"

Russ Brink, executive director of Downtown Eugene Inc., a group representing downtown business and property owners, does not believe redevelopment means short-changing the businesses that are there.

"It's always difficult to move a business," Brink said. "But what has happened in downtown Eugene over the years ... is that those that have a good business plan survive."

Robb Hankins, the city's former cultural services director, says if the redevelopment plan goes forward, the city should encourage the inclusion of pre-existing entertainment venues in the project.

"In my mind, the thing that makes Eugene `The World's Greatest City for the Arts and the Outdoors' is because there are people that are going to fight to make sure that the arts and the outdoors are protected," Hankins says "Someone's just got to say, 'OK, here's what we want.'

`If you want to build here, we'll give you some deals, but we want storefront live music, we want space for an art museum, we want these institutions to be brought into the new mix.' '

Reach Lewis Taylor at 338-2312 or ltaylor@ guardnet.com.

CAPTION(S):

Luckey's Club Cigar Store is one of the several nightspots that attract people to downtown.