KWG plan would be a boost for downtown.

Byline: GUEST VIEWPOINT By Kazem Oveissi, John Rowell, Sally Dietrich and Greg Brokaw For The Register-Guard

As immediate neighbors and people who run five small local businesses near the West Broadway redevelopment area, we are asking the community, and especially the Eugene City Council, to support the KWG proposal.

KWG's concept is the only one that aligns with the city's overall land use goals and Downtown Vision by bringing together a vital mix of housing, retail stores, offices and cultural activities.

In contrast, the Beam proposal to tune up the Washburn Building and Center Court misses an opportunity to move toward making Broadway a vibrant urban center.

We believe that a major redevelopment on both sides of Broadway has the best potential for creating the great commercial street that the community says it wants.

Local, incremental development in downtown actually will increase if we fix Broadway and create real and sustained opportunity.

The scope of the KWG project is not unusually large. It is about 2.5 percent of the total land downtown. It is along the lines of the urban village scale we see in most successful downtowns. This is compact growth that helps the city be more vital and sustainable.

Some say we don't want our downtown to be a mall. Who does? KWG knows that people want great streets and public spaces with a more interesting and vital mix of housing, retail, restaurants, art and entertainment. This is a classic urban concept that works.

There are others who say take it slow. Just last week our mayor argued against expanding the urban growth boundary.

Critics need to get off their high horses and support a real alternative to sprawl. This means transformation of our downtown.

We have people who want to reduce their carbon footprint now, to live where they can walk to everything they need - but there are few options in Eugene.

This will help the city retain existing neighborhoods and make new ones that are vital and sustainable. Why can't we do this? Where is our sense of urgency?

Some lament that the project is all figured out, that it's a done deal. But that's not so. A good design team never has the answers when it starts. Great design always begins with a bold vision with lots of questions and uncertainty.

That's where KWG is now - at the beginning. KWG knows that substantial input and criticism from this community is essential for project support and success.

It was suggested recently that we can do better ourselves with a community design process. Let's not forget that in the end, we still need a great developer.

Development takes skill, capital, commitment in the face of risk and determined follow-through. We can achieve local goals within real development parameters if the city acts in good faith and works collaboratively with the developer. This approach has worked time and again in other cities. We are not pioneers here.

If we want substantial influence in our downtown redevelopment, we need to bring something to the table.

Of course, the KWG project involves a significant public investment, about $25 million, and therefore justifies substantial public input in planning and design.

We have learned that KWG's design team is experienced, strong and responsive to input and criticism.

Its members have a record of bringing big projects to the finish line. They are experts at creative and complex financing to move projects forward.

Here, the city has the choice to address concerns by setting up a mechanism for meaningful, constructive review and input as a condition of the city's participation.

Moreover, the city staff can demonstrate it can intelligently manage the risks of investing $25 million of the public's money in contracts with KWG.

Let's demonstrate that our community is capable of working in a partnership with a responsible developer.

Judging from public comments, this project has surprisingly broad support. Yes, there are legitimate concerns, and the city has an obligation to be diligent. If the city wants to forge partnerships, we must not continue making ourselves look unattractive as a partner.

The kind of change most of us want to see will require our being aware of our own contribution to success, and how to build relationships for the best possible outcome. This will take leadership and vision from us - and most importantly, from the mayor and the council.

We believe it will be worth it. Let's work it out.

Kazem Oveissi and Sally Dietrich own and operate Oveissi & Co., Opus6ix Gallery and Perugino Coffeehouse in downtown Eugene. John Rowell and Greg Brokaw are principals of Rowell Brokaw Architects. Rowell is also an associate professor of architecture at the University of Oregon. Together, they are all owners of the One East Broadway Building.