Eugene Town Square: Three Concepts

Eugene Town Square design concepts on display at the July 18, 2019 "Block Party" (my photo)

The City of Eugene and the design team led by Cameron McCarthy Landscape Architecture & Planning unveiled three concepts this past Thursday for Eugene Town Square in downtown Eugene. The big reveal took place as a festive outdoor "block party" on the Park Blocks at 8th Avenue and Oak Street. The event is part of an especially robust public involvement process, one the City hopes will continue to attract broad public representation and ultimately realize a new Town Square that fulfills the needs and aspirations of our community. 

The three concepts fall along a spectrum of change and cost ranging from independent blocks that can work together to a unified space with sub-areas that can work independently. You can find a bunch of information about the concepts on the project's website, but I'll provide a summary of each scheme here: 

Concept 1

CONCEPT 1: 

According to Cameron McCarthy, the first concept celebrates natural design shapes (using curving forms and lush plant beds) and creates smaller gathering spaces on each block. The scope of the proposed improvements is the smallest of the three concepts, maintaining the current feel of the Park Blocks while creating a new Farmers Market and City Hall block. The design allows each of the three blocks to function and feel independent while providing an opportunity for all to work together during large events. The limits of work on each block extends only to the curb line (street improvements are not included) and the amount of special paving is focused in key areas. Concept 1 provides a single small, covered stage on the east Park Block. The design does not include storage or public restrooms and the Farmers Market Pavilion is a simple, open-air structure. Concept 1 aims to meet the project budget, but if realized the interactive fountain and Farmers Market Pavilion as shown would exceed the available funding. 

Concept 2

CONCEPT 2: 

The second concept is a contemporary design comprised of rectangular shapes and trees lining the streets and the entry to the new City Hall. A narrowed Oak Street and a west-facing stage on the east side foster a strong connection between the two Park Blocks. The stage is larger than the one proposed as part of Concept 1, has a wood floor for performances, a large covering, and is connected to a medium-sized restroom and storage building. The Farmers Market block feels independent from the Park Blocks but can connect across 8th Ave for larger events. The Farmers Market Pavilion is open air, uses higher quality materials, blends architecturally with City Hall, and includes restrooms and storage. The amount of specialty paving is increased and West, South, and East Park Streets and Oak Street (between South Park and 8th Avenue) are at grade with adjacent sidewalks. This option exceeds the draft budget. 

Concept 3

CONCEPT 3: 

Concept Three creates a unified Town Square, wherein all the blocks act as one but can also be used independently. The tree planting pays tribute to the site’s history to a time when “Rest Park” was filled with groves of sycamore trees. Both Park Blocks have a large covered stage (one featuring a wood floor) and structures for restrooms, storage, and/or an information kiosk/park ambassador. The Farmers Market Pavilion is fully enclosed but will have folding or roll up doors allowing it to become open air. It will also include restrooms and storage. Concept 3 provides the largest amount of specialty paving and provides a unifying, interactive water feature on each block. Large lawn panels, coupled with the groves of trees provide ample space for visitors to gather, exercise, dine, and relax. Notably, Concept 3 reestablishes North Park Street between City Hall and the Farmers Market Pavilion. If fully realized, this option would be the most expensive of the three options. 

The concepts are only meant as “big ideas,” starting points for further conversations about how the new Eugene Town Square might take shape. Ultimately, the final design may combine elements from all three concepts. 

So, what do I think? Fundamentally, to be successful Eugene Town Square will need to generate its own life. This means people should want to be there because it pleases them of its own accord. It cannot rely solely upon persistent programming of events for its vitality. The quality of its design will be of paramount importance. So too will its appeal to historical continuity and perceived significance to our city’s sense of identity. 

Town Square’s character will be defined in part by the buildings that give it shape and by its color, texture, and complexity. The surrounding structures—the Wells Fargo Bank, Park Place Building, South Park Building, Lane County Courthouse, Smeede Hotel, Tiffany Building, the forthcoming development at 8th & Pearl, and the future Eugene City Hall—are or will be of sufficient proportions to visually contain Town Square. At the moment, those surrounding buildings mostly turn their backs toward the space. My hope is the addition of the Farmers Market pavilion and City Hall will generate a level of urban energy commensurate with Town Square’s civic importance and historic significance. That energy will in turn prompt surrounding property owners to make improvements to their buildings. Ideally, these improvements would liven the edges of Town Square and further cement it as downtown Eugene’s center of gravity. 

All three schemes appear primed to erase the last vestiges of the current Park Blocks once-distinctive mid-century Modern vocabulary, which would be a shame. The 1958 design by Wilmsen Endicott Architects and landscape architect Lloyd Bond drew its inspiration from modern art of the early 20th century, including that of painter Piet Mondrian (think Broadway Boogie Woogie). Public art in the park includes sculptures by Jan Zach and Tom Hardy, both well-known mid-century modern northwest artists. There were once two fountains in the east park block, now gone. 

I would likewise lament the loss of any of the existing trees on the site, particularly the largest specimens. All of the Town Square concepts suggest removal and replacement of some of the current foliage as necessary to achieve specific effects, such as enhanced connections across 8th Avenue to the Farmers Market and City Hall. I’m hopeful the ultimate design will minimize the removal of the most attractive trees. 

Concept 3 rendering

In my opinion, none of the concepts hits the mark yet. That said, I do think a composite plan comprised of selected features may hold promise. In no specific order, these are: 

• No curbs at 8^th Avenue, Oak Street south of 8th, or Park Street 
• Narrowed streets 
• Permanent stage on the SE Park Block with the potential for an expanded performance space 
• Enclosed Farmers Market Pavilion with heating, restrooms, and storage
• South-facing City Hall plaza with drop-off driveway and connection to Farmers Market Plaza
• Medium amount of lawn area

The City won’t be able to immediately realize a complete vision of the Town Square. Even Concept 1—the least expensive option on the table—would exceed the draft budget if the City chooses to execute all of the project components. Realistically then, what can we expect? I doubt the political will exists to ask Eugene voters to support project funding above and beyond what is presently earmarked for the project. 

Given this fiscal dilemma, I was surprised to see mention of below-grade parking options for the Town Square project. Constructing underground parking is not cheap. The estimated cost for one level accommodating 105 vehicle parking spaces is $10 million; two levels with 210 total spaces is $18 million. While too many of us today still drive everywhere and all the time, the future may be very different once autonomous vehicles become commonplace and more attractive public transit options exist. Literally sinking money into holes in the ground—holes that resist adaptation for other uses once today’s cars become obsolete—makes little sense to me. Tomorrow’s urban landscape is going to be different, so why design it as if our motoring ways will never end?

*    *    *    *    *    *

Cameron McCarthy and City staff recognize and value the diversity of thoughts that contribute toward the making of a great public space. They’re committed to giving any and all a voice in the process, and being responsive to ideas, critiques, comments, and praise. They will continue to seek input from the public and organizations associated with the arts, persons with disabilities, housing, public safety, sustainability, equity & inclusion, and public transportation. 

If you missed Thursday’s Block Party, opportunities to become involved in the Eugene Town Square design process still remain. You can share your opinion about the three current concepts by participating in the online survey. The next public event will take place sometime during September, when the team will present a single concept that incorporates everything learned from the feedback to the three current design options. That single concept will be further refined and along with a summary report then presented in a public hearing scheduled for October.

Market Day

 

Inside the Lane County Farmers Market Pavilion, opening day June 4, 2022 (all photos are mine).

For many years, a go-to weekend activity for me and my wife has been heading downtown to grab lunch at the Saturday Market International Food Court (our favorite menu item is Afghani Cuisine’s Qabuli Pilaf) and visiting the Lane County Farmers Market to pick up fresh produce; however, COVID-19 disrupted this comfortable routine. So too did the first phase of the Eugene Town Square redevelopment, which temporarily displaced the Farmers Market to a location on East Fifth Avenue. Yesterday’s opening of the new Lane County Farmers Market Pavilion and Plaza marked the welcome return of the market to its historical location at 8th and Oak. We happily joined thousands of others to experience the market in its new venue on opening day.
 
Of course, I’ve been following and reporting on the reimagining of the Farmers Market as part of a refreshed Eugene Town Square for years now. Most recently, I documented the design and construction progress of the Market Pavilion and Plaza. The new Eugene City Hall and reworking of the southwest and southeast park blocks remain future projects, but if our visit on the first day of the market on the former site of the razed "butterfly lot" parking structure was any indication, it is clear the City of Eugene’s vision of a revitalized Town Square is already being validated.(1)

View from the Market Plaza looking toward the Pavilion.

 
It was a pleasure to stroll through the pavilion and the Market Plaza area on an unseasonably cool and damp Saturday in June. The new building did not clamor for my attention; instead, its simple, commodious form provided an unassuming backdrop for the dozens of vendors (inside and out) selling their locally grown farm products. I suspect this is exactly how the team of FFA Architecture & Interiors and Cameron McCarthy Landscape Architecture & Planning envisioned their design. I know my attention focused more upon the offerings of the various booths. I enjoyed being part of the bustle of others likewise enjoying their time at the market. It was as if the architecture receded from my view, which of course is surprising because I normally cannot avoid seeing any new building firstly through the eyes of an architect.
 
The addition of absorbent wall panels on the west wall of the pavilion’s interior dampened the acoustic reverberance that was very much evident during the construction-period tour I attended a few months ago. During that tour, the roll-up doors were closed and protected behind translucent visqueen. With the market operating, all the generous doors were held open, so the flow and views between the pavilion and the plaza were unimpeded. West Park Street remains an important part of the market, so the design did not scrimp on providing large openings to the pavilion from that side. The polycarbonate skin cladding the upper walls provided ample, glare-free daylight on an overcast day.

The roof structure is comprised of mass-timber panels supported by glulam beams. The floor is polished concrete.

 

The Market Plaza looking east from the Pavilion.

The plaza’s use of decomposed granite may prove slightly problematic. While comfortable underfoot and generally successful at absorbing rainfall, when wet it clings to shoes, which track the material about and into the pavilion.
 
Oddly, an overall impression I had of the new Farmers Market Pavilion and Plaza is that the new facility has been a downtown fixture for years already. My mind says, “I’ve seen this before.” Of course, the farmers market traces its history on this same site back more than a century, but this current incarnation is entirely original. Perhaps I should chalk up my sense of its familiarity to how inevitable and appropriate the market’s new home has turned out to be.
 
It will be interesting to see how the Lane County Farmers Market organization and the City of Eugene program the pavilion and plaza beyond its primary use as a location for small, local farms to sell fresh, nutritious foods. The plan has always been that it will be a multifunction community space.
 
Though yesterday was its first day in operation, the new Market Pavilion and Plaza’s grand opening celebration will take place on Sunday, June 26 between noon and 4:30 PM. That free event will feature live music, food trucks, speakers, information from partner organizations, and family-friendly activities.

(1)  Of course, my statement presumes the City will eventually fully realize that vision, something very much in question at the moment: To Build or To Buy? – Eugene Weekly 

Coordinated Downtown Development

AIA-SWO mini-charrette during the October 19, 2016 chapter meeting (my photo)

 

AIA-Southwestern Oregon members gathered last Wednesday at the FertiLab Thinkubator to learn more about efforts by the City of Eugene and Lane County to coordinate future downtown development of public facilities they own and operate. Currently under consideration are the fate of the new City Hall, a new and larger Lane County Courthouse, and a year-round farmers’ market. The two agencies recently formed a joint task force to evaluate options for siting these major downtown facilities and public spaces. 

The task force composed a charter statement to guide its efforts: 

“The City of Eugene and Lane County share a common value to provide the best possible service to our communities in ways that make efficient use of public resources. We have before us the opportunity to collaborate on the creation of a truly great civic center that serves Eugene and Lane County for decades to come.” 

The City and County jointly selected Cameron McCarthy Landscape Architecture and Planning as the consultant for the coordinated downtown development study. Cameron McCarthy’s mandate is to identify and evaluate options to help the City and County determine which strategy will best address their separate and mutual needs while working toward their shared goal of creating a “truly great civic center.” 

Larry Gilbert, ASLA, principal at Cameron McCarthy, leads the consultant team, which also includes Jim Robertson, FAIA, FCSI of Robertson/Sherwood/Architects (the firm I work for). Larry began his presentation at the AIA-SWO meeting by providing background information about the study. The new Eugene City Hall saga is well-known by most. That project’s spiraling costs no doubt prompted City Council’s willingness to work with the County to look at possibly more cost-effective alternatives. The existing, aging Lane County Courthouse suffers from numerous deficiencies relative to present-day standards, notably with respect to space, security, and efficiency, and requires either substantial modernization or replacement. The future of the farmer’s market is in play because its current location, the county-owned “butterfly” parking lot is one of the parcels involved in the study. 

Larry described the program areas for each of the study components; they are as follows: 

Eugene City Hall – Phase 1: 35,000 GSF

• Council Chambers
• Council Work Session Room
• Mayor and Council Offices
• City Manager’s Office 

Parking, Secure: 7,000 GSF (20 Spaces) 

Eugene City Hall – Phase 2: 115,000 GSF 

• Public Works 
• Planning & Development 
• Information Services 
• Human Resources & Risk Services 
• Finance & Central Services 

Parking, Secure: None 

Eugene Municipal /Community Court:  20,000 GSF 

• Municipal Court 

Parking, Secure:  8,400 GSF (24 Spaces) 

Lane County Courthouse: 240,034 GSF 

• Courts 
• Courts Administration 
• Sherriff Transport & Holding 
• Sheriff Main Offices 
• Parole & Probation 
• District Attorney Offices 
• State Offices 

Parking, Secure:  24,500 GSF (70 Spaces) 

Lane County Farmers Market (covered area):  9,000 GSF 

• Vending Spaces: 30 
• Restrooms 
• Storage 

Lane County Farmers Market (outdoor space):  39,000 GSF 

• Vending Spaces: 90 
• Bike Parking 
• Landscaping 

Based on the programmatic needs, Larry’s team initially developed twelve different options or models. It subsequently distilled the number of siting options for City Hall, the County Courthouse, and the Farmers’ Market down to six possible configurations, which the public (including AIA-SWO) have been asked to comment upon. The Register-Guard provided a detailed summary of the configurations, which I’ve simply repeated here: 

Option A1:
Remodel the existing courthouse for use by the district attorney’s and sheriff’s offices and build a new courthouse on the county-owned “butterfly” parking lot across Oak Street. A skybridge would connect the two buildings. On the vacant City Hall block at Eighth Avenue and Pearl Street, the Phase 2 City Hall would take up its northern half, the Phase 1 City Hall would be built on the empty lot’s southwest corner, and the farmer’s market would be constructed on the southeast corner. 

 

Option A2:
Consolidate the courthouse, district attorney’s and sheriff’s offices in one new nine-story building—it would be the tallest in downtown—on the butterfly lot. The existing courthouse would be preserved for county government operations. On the vacant City Hall block, the Phase 2 City Hall would be two buildings constructed on the northern half of the lot, and the Phase 1 City Hall and farmers’ market would swap places on the lot’s southern half.

 

Option B1:
Build the county courthouse and Phase 1 City Hall on the vacant City Hall block. The district attorney’s and sheriff’s offices take up the entire existing courthouse, and a very long skybridge would connect it to the new courthouse. Phase 2 City Hall would be constructed south of Eighth Avenue along Pearl Street. On the butterfly lot, the farmer’s market would operate on its southern half, and a new mixed-use building would be built on its northern half. 

 

Option B2:
The county courthouse with sheriff and district attorney functions would be built on the vacant City Hall block, wrapping around Phase 1 City Hall. The Phase 2 City Hall would be divided between two buildings by renovating the existing courthouse and constructing a second building across Oak from it on the northern half of the butterfly lot. The farmers’ market would occupy the lot’s second half. 

 

Option C1:
The new county courthouse and all associated functions would take up the entire vacant City Hall block. Phase 1 City Hall would be built on the butterfly lot’s northern half with the farmers’ market occupying the southern half. (The city and county are seeking an expedited court ruling on whether city founder Eugene Skinner’s 1855 deed to the county prevents a City Hall from being constructed on the butterfly lot.) Phase 2 City Hall would be divided between a renovated existing courthouse and the Wells Fargo building, where the city currently leases office space, so city services would be spread out in a campus environment with the Park Blocks at its center. 

 

Option C2:
The new county courthouse and all associated functions would take up the entire vacant City Hall block. The farmers’ market would be built on the southern half of the butterfly lot. In another variation of a city campus concept, Phase 1 City Hall would be built on the butterfly lot’s northern half with another floor—the fifth—added for Phase 2 offices. A new Phase 2 city office building would be constructed on the location of the existing courthouse. 

 

Each of these scenarios is still preliminary in nature, which is why input from groups like AIA-SWO remains important. Larry facilitated a mini-charrette during Wednesday’s meeting to ensure that ideas, or problems with ideas, are not overlooked before presenting a final slate of options to the elected officials and the public. The charrette was energetic and enjoyable, and did generate some inspired concepts for the consultant team to consider. 

The joint task force directed the consultant team to ultimately settle upon three concepts, so the six versions Larry presented will further be narrowed by half. He did say the final coordinated downtown development study will not single out a preferred option. Instead, the point of the study is to provide the joint task force with the information it needs to identify the concept it prefers to see implemented. Toward this end, the study will ultimately address questions about cost, context, transportation impact, and additional work required. 

Which option do I prefer? I have a preference but I’ll defer saying anything until after the report is finalized. 

Of course, notably absent from the scope of the study is the renewed possibility of EWEB offering its current administrative headquarters building on the Willamette riverfront to the City of Eugene for adaptation as a new City Hall. The City is not ignoring that possibility but is simply also exploring the potential of a collaboration and possible land swap with Lane County. 

Notably, some city council members have expressed reluctance with the prospect of delaying construction of the new, ceremonial City Hall as most recently planned. They would rather proceed with that design as soon as possible despite the opportunities inherent in a collaboration with the county or a purchase from EWEB of its building. I personally believe not considering all options on the table (especially when they’ve presented themselves so serendipitously) would be shortsighted, so I wholeheartedly support taking this step back. 

 

There will be one more opportunity for the public to comment upon the six coordinated development options before Larry’s team reduces that number to the three the joint task force will deliberate upon. The City and County are hosting a community open house on Wednesday, November 2 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Harris Hall, 125 East Eighth Avenue. For more meeting information, or if you don’t think you’ll be able to attend the open house, provide your comments online at www.downtownplanning.org. 

Big thanks to Larry for providing such an informative presentation. Thanks too to the elected representatives and members of the joint task force who recognize the opportunities inherent in developing an equitably beneficial and collaborative vision. This is a momentous time for downtown Eugene. The decisions that will be made now are critical. They require considerable thoughtfulness and imagination. There is simply too much at stake that will impact the future of Eugene for too many years to come.

The Farmers Market Pavilion and Plaza

 
Farmers Market Pavilion - view from 8th looking north (this and other renderings by FFA Architecture + Interiors)

Just a brief blog entry this week, as seasonal obligations and work demands compete for my limited time: I recently stumbled across the renderings for the new Lane County Farmers Market pavilion by FFA Architecture + Interiors. Construction of the pavilion is poised to take a big leap forward in the coming weeks, as the glulam framing and CLT (cross-laminated timber) panels are on site awaiting their imminent assembly. The construction manager/general contractor for the project is Lease CrutcherLewis.

The construction site as of December 12, 2021.

For FFA, the design challenge was how to accommodate a longstanding agricultural tradition within an urban setting. The firm looked to greenhouses for inspiration, settling upon “a simple form that is open and transparent, allowing the activity inside to be the primary focus.” The design’s simplicity kept costs in check, ensuring the biggest bang for the available bucks. When completed before next year’s market season, the pavilion will provide a commodious, all-season shelter for vendors while being a deferential backdrop to the Farmer’s Market Plaza and a future Eugene City Hall.

FFA designed the pavilion to open to the surrounding plaza and streets as much as possible. Visitors and vendors will move easily between indoor and outdoor spaces.

View through Polycarbonate Facade to Mass Timber Structure

Indoor-Outdoor Connection to West Park Street

The old Eugene Producers’ Public Market originally occupied this same site more than a century ago, so the current Farmers Market Pavilion and Market Plaza project is a return to its roots. As part of the greater Eugene Town Square project designed by Cameron McCarthy Landscape Architecture & Planning, it promises to help rejuvenate the city’s historic center. The overall concept is an organic outcome of a multiplicity of factors, not the least of which was a serendipitous share of dumb luck. The Town Square project promises to unify the Park Blocks, the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza, and the new City Hall & Farmers Market Block in a way that is synergistic. The whole will certainly be much more than the sum of its parts. 

 
First dedicated for public use in 1853 by the city’s founding families, Eugene’s erstwhile civic center deserves a vibrant future. If successful, Eugene Town Square will attract high-value downtown development, jobs, residents, and a concomitant boost to the tax base. Building the new Farmers Market Pavilion is an important first step.

Farmers Market Pavilion and Plaza Tour

 

Interior of the Farmers Market Pavilion (all photos by me).

Another week, another well-attended tour of a noteworthy project in Eugene. This time, the Willamette Valley Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute, AIA Eugene, and the Willamette Valley Section of ASLA Oregon teamed to provide an insider’s look at the Farmers Market Pavilion and Plaza, which are rapidly approaching completion. During the tour, key members of the design and construction team provided a wealth of background information, greatly enhancing tour-goers’ understanding about what is destined to become a transformative project for downtown Eugene.
 
Our tour guides included Tanner Perrine, Senior Project Manager with Lease Crutcher Lewis (and current CSI Willamette Valley Chapter president) and Assistant Project Manager Riley Allen. Tanner and Riley described unique aspects of the construction process, including the decision to procure the pavilion’s cross-laminated timber panels from nearby D.R. Johnson Lumber Co. rather than a lower-cost Canadian source. This decision reflected Lewis’ commitment to sourcing products locally and minimizing the project’s carbon footprint, but also the challenges and uncertainties associated with cross-border commerce.

(l to r): Matt Koehler, Riley Allen, and Tanner Perrine.

Farmers Market Pavilion

 
Matt Koehler, ASLA, LEED AP, principal with Cameron McCarthy Landscape Architecture & Planning, and Christine Rumi, RA, LEED AP, associate partner with FFA Architecture & Interiors, ably presented the design team’s perspective. As I reported previously, the Farmer’s Market Pavilion and Market Plaza comprise just the initial phase of the greater Eugene Town Square redevelopment of Eugene’s historic park blocks. Matt addressed the challenges posed by the necessity of anticipating the Town Square’s phased development in the project’s design, as well as the Lane County Farmers Market mandate to utilize “hard” surfaces to accommodate as many vendor’s booths as possible (disqualifying the incorporation of lawn areas). Christine highlighted FFA’s strategic use of a simple, luminous form that not only alludes to agricultural greenhouses, but also wrings the biggest possible bang out of a very limited budget.

Interior view looking north.

Cross section of CLT wall panel.

 

What impressed me most during the tour is the spaciousness of both the pavilion interior and the plaza outside, which isn’t immediately evident if you only view the design while passing by the site in a car. Vendors and shoppers alike will enjoy a more interconnected, shared experience and sense of place than offered by any of the market’s previous incarnations. I suspect the combination of interior and exterior space for vendor booths will lead to the participation of more growers, enhancing the selection and variety of produce offerings.

View looking west across the Market Plaza toward the Pavilion. Note the pattern of different types of concrete paving. The areas around the trees will be infilled with tightly compacted decomposed granite.

 

When completed, Cameron McCarthy’s assertive patterning of colored and hand-seeded aggregate concrete panels, and decomposed granite will complement the relative plainness of the Market Pavilion. Matt said the composition of the concrete and DG panels alludes to the modernist design for the two Park Blocks to the south across 8th avenue, for which the art of painter Piet Mondrian inspired Wilmsen Endicott Architects and Lloyd Bond Landscape Architect’s 1958 design. The quality of the Market Plaza concrete already in place is outstanding, with nary a cracked panel in sight. 

I did find the 8,500 sf pavilion perhaps a tad too refined and crystalline in character. The board and batten lower walls will be painted white, further reinforcing its iceberg-like appearance. The polycarbonate panels that clad its upper surfaces aren’t as transparent as FFA’s renderings suggested they would be. On the other hand, the building’s simple form will function as a backdrop for the bustle of activities on the Market Plaza and suitably defer to a future Eugene City Hall, to be constructed at the north end of the plaza.  

West wall of the market hall. The metal straps toward the top of the wall are structural and will be concealed behind acoustical wall panels.

 
Whereas the exterior of the pavilion is icily cool, the exposed mass timber framing and CLT panels inside are warm and inviting. Most of the wood will remain exposed, but the upper portion of the west wall that separates the market hall from support spaces will be covered by acoustical panels to dampen reverberant noise. That surface will additionally host a specially commissioned piece of art. Likewise, the City of Eugene selected an artist to paint a mural on a portion of the building’s exterior facing West Park Street. I expect the art pieces to add a desirable touch of color to the building.
 

West side of the Pavilion, facing West Park Street. The area of yellow panels will receive a painted mural.

The Lane County Farmers Market intends to move in and welcome the community to the new Market Pavilion and Plaza on Memorial Day weekend, less than two short months from now. I’m looking forward to seeing the design come alive, bringing active uses back to what historically had been part of Eugene’s most important civic open space.

Eugene’s Town Square

Aerial view of the future Eugene Town Square: North is to the left; the yellow rectangle is the existing "butterfly" parking lot owned by the County (base image © 2018 Google) 

In a decidedly snarky editorial last week, the Register-Guard threw shade upon the City of Eugene’s latest bid to provide our community with a physical seat for its civic government. The paper likened the City’s proposed bundling of a new Eugene City Hall on the county-owned “butterfly” parking lot along with a year-round Lane County Farmers’ Market and Parks Blocks improvements in a combined project it dubbed Eugene’s “Town Square” to a self-interested marketing ploy worthy of fictional Mad Men ad agency Sterling Cooper. While the City’s culpability for the City Hall debacle is not subject to debate, I do know the folks in COE Planning & Development are genuinely earnest and sincere in their efforts to improve downtown and make the best of its leaders’ botched handling of the City Hall replacement project. The R-G piece likely inflamed cynicism among its readers, which is unfortunate and unhelpful. 

The Town Square concept is not Madison Avenue packaging. It is instead an organic outcome of a multiplicity of factors stemming from historical and contemporary roots, many of which were and are beyond the control of COE planners. That we’ve arrived at this point is due in equal parts to dumb luck and serendipity. Thanks to the prospect of a proposed land swap with Lane County, the City can now consider three previously separate projects to be a singular opportunity to generate what Christopher Alexander refers to as “wholeness” in the built environment. The City and County are not always known for thinking outside the box or cooperatively(1), so this cross-agency collaboration is commendable. We owe thanks to the elected representatives and members of the joint coordinated downtown development task force who recognized the opportunities inherent in developing an equitably beneficial and collaborative vision for downtown Eugene.(2) 

Any functioning city is a complex adaptive system, much more than the sum of its parts alone. Rather than separately regarding a new City Hall, a covered Farmers’ Market, and the Parks Blocks, designers will be able to approach the three elements with coherence and a compelling vision in mind. The goal now is to create something so intertwined and whole that it is difficult to imagine how it can be considered or function well as discrete elements. Combining the three projects magnifies the prospect of a generative design process that emphasizes the interrelatedness of the projects and ensures every building increment will form a greater whole, which is both larger and more significant than itself (this is Alexander’s Rule #2: The Growth of Larger Wholes, from his 1987 book A New Theory of Urban Design). 

From both morphological and symbolic perspectives, a recognizable city hall is necessary and important because it is an expression of municipal authority and democracy in the spatial order of our urban fabric. Its symbolism resonates with people because civic ritual and ceremony encourage participation in the collective life of the community. If anything, the concept of shared ritual is necessary now more than ever because of the increasingly fragmented and digital nature of our interactions. Properly handled, a city hall and its architecture, along with that of a permanent Farmers’ Market structure and the refurbished Park Blocks, will enhance literal and conceptual perceptions of centeredness, wholeness, and urban order. 

In the past, city halls often bordered or occupied a town square in the historical heart of the community. Functional town squares offer a gathering spot for people and social, cultural, and political activities. According to Project for Public Spaces, public squares bring diverse benefits to a city. They can nurture identity, draw a diverse population, serve as a city’s “common ground,” and catalyze private investment. PPS’s principles for successful squares include image and identity, attractions and amenities, access, and management plans that promote ways to keep them safe and lively. As presently envisioned by COE planners—bounded in part by an attractive and welcoming new City Hall—Eugene’s Town Square would be a place even more inseparable from our civic identity than the current Park Blocks are today. 

City Hall needn’t be a palace, and the City’s currently proposed funding is certainly insufficient to realize anything remotely close to one. The same is true for the relatively modest amount of urban renewal district dollars earmarked for the Farmers’ Market and Parks Blocks. The key will be leveraging the limited resources to maximize bang for the buck. For example, a covered Farmer’s Market might double as a venue for large town hall gatherings or entertainment events. Perhaps there are other functions or activities that might benefit from the synergies inherent in a combined project. Certainly, a primary role for a new City Hall to perform will be as a backdrop for the activities occurring on the Town Square. The City should otherwise scale back its expectations for what its new City Hall will be. A pragmatic strategy will be to continue to limit its scope to that of a symbolic seat for city government, housing at most the ceremonial council chamber and offices for the mayor, city councilors, and the City Manager. Other COE offices would remain in leased space distributed throughout downtown. 

The 40 acre parcel donated by Eugene and Mary Skinner to Lane County in 1856. 

Of course, as the Register-Guard pointed out, still unanswered is whether the proposed land swap between the City and the County will be allowed to proceed. I’m presuming the court ruling will favor the transaction. Even if it does not, the community founders’ original vision of a public square would still be attainable, the difference being the County’s new courthouse might rise on the “butterfly” lot parcel instead of a new City Hall. I do know in terms of programmatic fit, a new courthouse—which will be many times larger than a ceremonial City Hall—is much better suited to the former City Hall site, and vice versa. In my opinion, a scenario wherein the City Hall occupies the Town Square would fulfill the founders’ vision in spirit if not the letter of the original deed restrictions. I don’t see a problem as long as the property is kept under public ownership. 

If the land swap falls through, I’m inclined to favor moving City Hall to the riverfront EWEB headquarters building rather than once again attempting to rebuild on the former city hall site. If newly constructed on the old city hall site, the building would look oddly diminutive and the remainder of the block would by necessity remain fallow if it is to be reserved for future consolidation of COE offices.(3) 

The City of Eugene’s self-inflicted wounds have not helped its efforts to develop a new City Hall. The narrative today would be much different if the City and the County brokered the land swap and the Town Square concept from the outset. If they had, chances are the City of Eugene would have been spared much of the controversy and bad press that has accompanied more than a decade of poor decisions, false starts, and equivocation. Hindsight is always 20/20. The fact is we are where we are today. 

In a scene from what is now part of pop culture lore, Mad Men protagonist and Sterling Cooper creative director Dan Draper memorably declared “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.” The City of Eugene has changed the conversation, but this isn’t a marketing gambit. This is a laudably deep reset, one that might achieve the best outcome we can reasonably hope for.

(1) A written history of the site by Dan Armstrong is particularly informative. The use and conditions of use of the “public square in Eugene City” have been issues of debate multiple times in the one hundred and sixty-plus years since the square’s creation.

(2) Full disclosure: In 2016 the City of Eugene and Lane County retained Cameron McCarthy Landscape Architecture & Planning and my firm—Robertson/Sherwood/Architects—to explore the opportunities inherent in three development scenarios for publicly owned properties in downtown.

Scenario A: City Hall and Farmers Market on the Site of Former City Hall and the Courthouse on the Butterfly Lot

Scenario B: City Hall and the Courthouse on the Site of Former City Hall and the Farmers Market on the Butterfly Lot

Scenario C: City Hall and the Farmers Market on the Butterfly Lot and the Courthouse on the Site of the Former City Hall.

(3)  If the City does need to lower its sights for City Hall, it could do much worse than purchasing and repurposing the EWEB headquarters. As I wrote six years ago, converting the EWEB headquarters into Eugene’s new city hall can be a win-win scenario. EWEB could entrust its prominent, uniquely situated, structurally sound, and energy-efficient building to the City of Eugene rather than to a private enterprise that might permanently remove it and its riverfront prospect from the public realm. The City would secure an attractive new home for itself at a considerable discount compared to the cost of constructing equivalent space from scratch. The downside, of course, would be the distance between that location and the historic center of Eugene.