Hospital talk turns to fairgrounds option.Byline: Matt Cooper Matt Cooper may refer to:
Despite McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center's hope to move to downtown Eugene, hospital officials have also met with Lane County commissioners and talked about whether the county fairgrounds n. pl. 1. same as fairground. could be a backup site A backup site is a location where a business can easily relocate following a disaster, such as fire, flood, or terrorist threat. This is an integral part of the disaster recovery plan of a business. . Two of the five county commissioners said Tuesday that they recently talked with hospital officials about moving the hospital to the 55-acre fairgrounds at Jefferson and 13th Avenue in Eugene. During that meeting in early June at the Springfield hospital, McKenzie-Willamette spokesperson Rosie Pryor asked, if the hospital doesn't move to the Eugene Water & Electric Board headquarters downtown, "Would (the fairgrounds) be a potential second site?" "We said it wouldn't, because the board has made it clear it's not for sale," Lane County Commissioner Faye Stewart said. Stewart attended the meeting with Commissioner Anna Morrison. McKenzie-Willamette has offered $24 million for most of EWEB's 27-acre site by the Willamette River Willamette River River, northwestern Oregon, U.S. It flows north for 300 mi (485 km) into the Columbia River near Portland. Oregon's most populous cities are in its valley. The Fremont Bridge, a steel arch with a main span of 1,225 ft (373 m), crosses the river at Portland. . But the utility, which is studying its own potential relocation, will not decide for months. Meanwhile, the commissioners late last month voted to review the financially struggling fairgrounds, and to include the moving of the fairgrounds as an option. Hospital officials have not asked the commissioners to sell them the fairgrounds, and the hospital is committed to completing a deal to move to the utility's headquarters, Pryor said Tuesday. But the talks with EWEB EWEB Eugene Water and Electric Board (Oregon) are taking longer than anticipated and the fairgrounds site is among numerous relocation possibilities throughout Eugene-Springfield, she added. "If it ever became available for sale, we'd be intrigued by that," Pryor said. The fairgrounds have occasionally surfaced as a possible home for McKenzie-Willamette. Speculation intensified in·ten·si·fy v. in·ten·si·fied, in·ten·si·fy·ing, in·ten·si·fies v.tr. 1. To make intense or more intense: late last month after the commissioners voted to consider relocating the fairgrounds to an unspecified new home. Commissioners Stewart and Morrison met with Pryor and hospital CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Roy Orr on June 1 to discuss whether, after McKenzie-Willamette eventually moves from its Springfield site, the county might want the former Springfield hospital building to house some or all of its health services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract . During the meeting, the talk turned to the county fairgrounds, Morrison said, and whether the hospital would want the site if the commissioners ultimately move the facility. "They didn't bring out their checkbooks," Morrison said. "I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. that I got a real good feeling one way or the other whether it was a viable option." Commissioner Peter Sorenson said Orr informed him of the meeting with Stewart and Morrison, just before the commissioners voted June 22 to review the fairgrounds and to include relocation as a possibility. Orr didn't want Sorenson to be "blindsided" by the hospital's meeting with Morrison and Stewart, Sorenson said. Sorenson, who represents south Eugene, including neighborhoods around the fairgrounds, said he told Orr that moving the hospital to the fairgrounds would present major problems, including traffic snarls, zoning changes, the cost of relocation, and the challenge to appease ap·pease tr.v. ap·peased, ap·peas·ing, ap·peas·es 1. To bring peace, quiet, or calm to; soothe. 2. To satisfy or relieve: appease one's thirst. 3. neighbors. "It would result in a tremendous neighborhood revolt," Sorenson said. Commissioner Bobby Green said he's had no interaction with hospital officials regarding the fairgrounds. Commissioner Bill Dwyer was on vacation and unable to be reached. |
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