Open Space and Civic Ambitions

The fallow North Butterfly Lot as seen from Oak Street (Google Street View).

It’s déjà vu all over again: the City of Eugene stands once more at a pivotal moment in defining its downtown identity. Two parcels—the undeveloped corner of the downtown Park Blocks (a.k.a. the “North Butterfly Lot”), once eyed for a new City Hall, and the former City Hall site, now a parking lot owned by Lane County—await direction. With City Hall now settled in the former EWEB headquarters, the roles of the two sites demand fresh consideration. Community voices, and practical matters, offer starting points, but their future hinges on pending decisions. 

The Park Blocks have long been a public anchor for downtown. Nevertheless, the City of Eugene is proceeding with plans to privatize the undeveloped North Butterfly parcel. The plans include a Zone change from PL Public Land to C-3 Major Commercial. City planners contend that the property’s current zoning limits redevelopment opportunities, favoring the C-3 Major Commercial zone change to enable more housing downtown. Toward achieving this goal, the City will issue a formal Request for Proposals to developers that will include the stipulation that all responses must include housing as a primary component. 

In a March 27 letter to the Eugene Weekly (as well as in his subsequent April 6 guest column in the Register-Guard), William Sullivan opposes this idea, agreeing with Mayor Kaarin Knudson that downtown needs housing but arguing that the Park Blocks site is too small for an apartment building and its parking needs. He calls for a park-focused design competition instead, suggesting features like a playground, a giant “EUGENE” sculpture, bigleaf maple trees, a Frog memorial bench, and a SLUG queen throne to reflect Eugene’s quirks. 

"OTTAWA" sign in Ottawa, Canada. William Sullivan proposes a similar "EUGENE" sign/sculpture for the Park Blocks (my photo).

I do not share Sullivan’s size concern; the parcel is no smaller than the site of the former Lane Community College Downtown Center/Montgomery Ward department store at 1055 Willamette Street. That property is earmarked for replacement with a new apartment complex, for which construction is on track to begin this year. Nor will any mandate to provide associated vehicle parking present an issue as the City of Eugene recently eliminated minimum parking requirements citywide; in any event, existing nearby parking facilities can absorb much of the demand generated by any new development. 

I do agree with William Sullivan that a multifamily housing project feels out of place here; importantly, city founder Eugene Skinner donated the land to the City for its express use as a civic square, not for its eventual sale or lease to a private developer. I believe a public use that activates and frames the northwest quadrant of the Park Blocks would better serve its role as the downtown’s most important open space. An apartment building risks feeling out of place unless its ground floor prioritizes active, public uses. While mixed-use buildings often shape successful squares, I believe this site needs an architectural punctuation mark, not just fabric. 

The Farmers Market Pavilion already provides indoor event space, so duplicating that function seems redundant. Instead, picture a stage framed by a sleek, modern arch for outdoor performances, paired with support facilities and a café—a lively, public-oriented backdrop—with commercial spaces behind facing 7th Avenue. This could buffer 7th Avenue noise, enclose the north end, and if scaled right, complement the park’s openness. This approach aligns with the Park Blocks’ legacy as a communal hub, enhancing rather than encroaching upon it. 

The Park Blocks (left) and the County-owned parking lot (right). The North Butterfly Lot parcel is outlined by the yellow dashed line.

A block away, the former City Hall site (bounded by Pearl Street on the west, 7th Avenue on the north, High Street on the east, and 8th Avenue on the south) presents a different challenge. Since Lane County took ownership in a 2018 land swap with the City of Eugene, the lot has served as a 285-space parking facility—a stopgap after plans for a new county courthouse faltered. The existing courthouse, built in 1954, struggles with accessibility, inadequate space, and outdated systems, handling 33,000 cases annually in cramped quarters. In 2018-2019, I contributed to the conceptual design of a proposed Lane County Justice Center, including a new courthouse, as part of a team led by Robertson/Sherwood/Architects with DLR Group’s Justice+Civic studio. Our vision underpinned a $252 million bond measure, but it failed with 58% of voters opposed, leaving the site’s future unclear. Today, it generates parking revenue—a practical use—but it falls short of its civic potential. Reserving the property for a justice center still makes sense—no viable alternative site has emerged, and the county’s long-term needs persist. 

In her April 3 letter to the Eugene Weekly in response to William Sullivan’s own the week before, Maureen McClain suggested the now County-owned block might host housing rather than a new courthouse, a nod to Eugene’s residential shortfall. Could Lane County pivot to private development? It’s plausible. The site’s value and the city’s housing crunch might entice a sale or lease for apartments or mixed-use projects, especially if courthouse funding remains elusive. However, the land swap’s public-use intent, zoning hurdles, and community attachment to civic spaces could complicate such a shift. And what other site exists downtown that could accommodate a future County courthouse? For now, the parking lot endures, its fate tied to fiscal realities and political will. 

Blocking diagram of one of the 2018 Lane County Justice Center development scenarios (Robertson/Sherwood/Architects w/DLR Group).

If neither the North Butterfly Lot nor the former City Hall site are appropriate for accommodating much needed housing, where do such properties exist? If I could wave a magic wand, and if I had the means to make it happen, my first target would be one of the several surface parking lots, such as the one at 10th and High (owned by Broadway Pearl Associates, LLC) or the lot at Broadway and Pearl (owned by Diamond parking). I imagine such centrally located opportunities as ideal sites, practical alternatives for mixed-use projects that include significant housing components. 

Together, the North Butterfly Lot and the former City Hall block raise a core question: how should Eugene balance utility, growth, and identity? The Park Blocks deserve a civic anchor that preserves their public role, while the former City Hall site holds potential for infrastructure that meets long-term needs.  Should housing override the North Butterfly Lot’s public legacy, or should the City secure it as a defining civic space for the Park Blocks? The answer will shape downtown’s future.