IN CASE YOU MISSED IT.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Fire departments expand deal to help each other out

For the most part, it appears no intergovernmental tension exists between Eugene and Springfield officials when it comes to addressing potentially disastrous situations.

Fire Chiefs Randy Groves of Eugene and Dennis Murphy of Springfield proved that last week, when they shared with their respective city councils a plan to combine forces - literally - and provide better emergency coverage throughout the metro area.

The new system represents an expansion of an existing 20-year agreement between Springfield and Eugene fire departments that requires the closest crew to respond immediately to a nearby crisis, even if it arises in the neighboring city. Incidents just east of Interstate 5 sometimes draw first responders from Eugene, while it's not uncommon for Springfield units to arrive at emergencies just west of the freeway before their Eugene counterparts.

The deal taking effect July 2 allows either city to "borrow" the other's resources whenever a portion of its territory is left unprotected because of crises requiring multiple fire crews.

What it means is that there will be times when Eugene crews cover large chunks of Springfield and vice versa.

Fire officials often point out that during an emergency, every second counts. And the way Groves and Murphy see it, the unified system is designed to work as if there were no boundaries separating their cities.

'Major retailer' lined up

for former Kmart site

A new retail outlet is planning a move to the former Kmart building near the corner of Olympic and 21st streets, the property's owner says.

Steven Yett of Eugene-based The Olympic LLC won't reveal the name of his prospective tenant, but said an announcement from the interested firm is imminent.

"They want to be in charge of the roll-out," Yett said of the company, which he called "a major retailer."

Springfield planners earlier this month granted final approval of Yett's plan to renovate the 69,000-square-foot building and add a 4,200-square-foot garden center along the structure's west side. A drive-through customer loading area is also part of the design.

Yett's tenant will need about 39,000 square feet for its operation. A second business is being sought to lease the remaining 30,000 square feet in the building.

Eugene real estate agent David Holland said a lease agreement with the primary tenant could be finalized this week.

The former Kmart building was most recently leased by St. Vincent de Paul, which used it until its new Springfield store opened last fall at 46th and Main streets. The Olympic LLC purchased the 7.5-acre lot that includes the building in 2005 for $3.4 million.

Ceremony marks start

of new justice center

About 120 people attended a groundbreaking ceremony last week for a new voter-approved city public safety complex.

Springfield Police Chief Jerry Smith, Mayor Sid Leiken and city Councilor Christine Lundber thanked city residents for approving a pair of ballot measures that authorized construction of the $30 million facility.

The justice center will include a new police station and municipal courtrooms, along with a 100-bed jail to house misdemeanor-level inmates. The jail is expected to open in 2010.

The Springfield lockup will be the largest city operated jail in Oregon.

The justice center building will cover an entire downtown city block bordered to the south by A Street, to the west by Pioneer Parkway and to the east by Fourth Street.

Plans call for a blocklong section of B Street to be closed to make room for a secure parking lot immediately north of the complex.

Springfield voters in 2004 approved a construction bond measure to design and build the 100,000-square-foot complex. Last November, voters endorsed a temporary property tax levy to raise money to help staff the jail through mid-2013.