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Overview
Timeline
Documents and Materials
Public Input
Overview
Civic Stadium, the vacant baseball stadium located near East 20th Avenue and Willamette Street in Eugene, has been owned by Eugene School District 4J since it was built. The stadium, along with some adjacent properties also owned by the district, are not needed for educational purposes and have been designated as surplus property since 2002.
In 2010, after considering and disposing of several other surplus properties in recent years, the Eugene School Board turned its attention to Civic Stadium. The board considered public input and decided that the time had come to find a new owner or developer for the property, rather than continuing to own and maintain the vacant baseball stadium.
Interested parties were invited to submit proposals describing their plans for the property and offering terms of purchase, long-term lease or property trade. Proposals were submitted by Eugene YMCA, Master Development LLC & Powell Development Co., and Save Civic Stadium. After careful consideration, the school board did not accept any of the offers. The board members who voted to decline the proposals cited the importance of their neighborhood impact, community impact, financial viability, traffic issues and other factors.
In July 2011, the superintendent was authorized to pursue the possibility of a short-term lease and received one letter of interest, but decided not to move forward with a short-term lease at that time.
In the fall of 2012 the district began a community conversation about how to prioritize needs and when to replace or renovate buildings that no longer serve our students well. All 4J facilities, including reserve and surplus properties such as Civic Stadium, were included in these discussions about long-range facilities planning. A consultant proposed building a new Roosevelt Middle School at the Civic Stadium site; however, that idea was set aside after public input and board discussion. Roosevelt will be rebuilt on its current site.
Timeline
| 2002 | Surplus property: Civic Stadium was designated as surplus property by the school board in 2002. |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | Board decided to initiate its Land Use Decision Process, a defined process to lead to a decision on whether to offer the property for sale. The board extended the decision-making timeline to allow 90 days for the Save Civic Stadium organization to conduct a feasibility study that would identify the range of uses, potential costs and possible buyers for the property. |
| Feb. 25, 2010, | Community meeting (Note: This was not a school board meeting but a neighborhood/community meeting hosted by district staff, and was held at a different location, South Eugene High School) |
| Feb. 25–Mar. 5, 2010 | Community input solicited through online comment form. |
| March 17, 2010 | Staff summarized comments and suggestions received at the February 25 community meeting and through the online. |
| May 19, 2010 | Staff presented proposed findings of fact. The findings state why the district no longer needs the property, zoning and land use restrictions on the property, and community input received to date. |
| June 2, 2010 | Public hearing. Public comment was welcomed on the proposal to sell the property. |
| June 16, 2010 | Board decided to sell Civic Stadium and adjacent properties using a request for proposals process, and provided direction on next steps. |
| Aug. 18, 2010 | Board work session to discuss key elements prior to drafting a request for proposals. |
| Sept. 1, 2010 | Board reviewed draft request for proposals. |
| Sept. 15, 2010 | Board approved a final request for proposals. |
| Oct. 1, 2010 | District issued a request for proposals to acquire the Civic Stadium properties. |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | Proposals due by 2:00 p.m. |
| Spring 2011 | Proposal review: Staff reviewed all proposals using criteria outlined in the RFP, and forwarded the proposals to the school board for evaluation. |
| May 18, 2011 | Superintendent’s recommendation: Superintendent George Russell on May 18 recommended to the Eugene School Board that the district move forward with a proposal from Master Development LLC and Powell Development Co. |
| June 1, 2011 | Offers declined: The school board decided to decline the offers from Save Civic Stadium, YMCA and Master and Powell Development to purchase or lease Civic Stadium on a long-term basis. |
| July 2011 | In July, the superintendent was authorized to pursue the possibility of a short-term lease. |
| July 28–Aug. 12, 2011 | Request for letters of interest: The district solicited letters of interest from organizations or individuals interested in leasing Civic Stadium or purchasing an option to lease for a period of up to three years. One letter of interest was received. The superintendent decided not to move forward with a short-term lease at this time. |
| 2012–2013 | Public process to update long-range facilities plan |
| August 2013 | Board to reopen discussion about Civic Stadium |
Documents and Materials
Community Input:
Summary of Comments From Community Meeting (Feb. 25, 2010)
Summary of Responses to Online Comment Form (Mar. 5, 2010)
Request for Proposals for Acquisition of the Civic Stadium Properties: Packet
The district issued a request for proposals to purchase, lease, or trade for the Civic Stadium property. Proposals were accepted between October 1, 2010, and February 1, 2011.
- Ballpark Village – Eugene YMCA – Eugene, Oregon
New YMCA facility and an off-campus student housing neighborhood
Eugene YMCA Proposal • Answers to Board Questions
- Civic Village – Master Development, LLC & Powell Development Co. – Eugene, Oregon
Mixed-use development with stores, restaurants, residential apartments, and neighborhood gathering place, anchored by a Fred Meyer store
Master/Powell Revised Proposal • Original Proposal • Answers to Board Questions
- Civic Stadium – Save Civic Stadium – Eugene, Oregon
Rehabilitation of the stadium and conversion into a multipurpose sports and entertainment venue
Save Civic Stadium Proposal • Answers to Board Questions
Proposal Comparison: Final Offer Revenue Calculations
Superintendent’s Recommendation: Superintendent’s Recommendation & Rationale
Superintendent George Russell recommended that the school board move forward with a proposal from Master Development LLC and Powell Development Co.
School Board Decision: In June 2011, the Eugene School Board decided to decline all three proposals for purchase or long-term lease of Civic Stadium.
Request for Letters of Interest for Lease of the Civic Stadium Properties: Packet
In August 2011 the Eugene School District solicited letters of interest from organizations or individuals interested in leasing Civic Stadium or purchasing an option to lease for a period of up to three years. One letter of interest was received. The superintendent decided not to move forward with a short-term lease at that time.
Public Input
The Eugene School Board invited community input both before and after the board’s decision to seek a new owner for Civic Stadium and nearby properties.
Community Meeting
The Eugene School District held a community meeting on Feb. 25, 2010, at South Eugene High School.
At the meeting, school district staff:
• reviewed the proposal to sell Civic Stadium and nearby properties,
• reviewed the school district’s decision-making timeline,
• answered questions about the property and the process, and
• invited participants to provide input on the proposal to sell the property.
About 60 people attended the community meeting and about 20 people offered comments. Participants’ comments have been summarized and will be reported to the Eugene School Board at their March 17 meeting.
Online Comment Form
The school district invited community members to provide public input through an online comment form, which was available through March 5, 2010. The web comment form had 776 entries, with about 740 responding to all six questions. Comments were summarized and reported to the Eugene School Board at their regular meeting on March 17, 2010.
Comments Summary
Complete Responses (click on “Show Replies” for each question)
Public Hearing
The school board held a public hearing on Wednesday, June 2, 2010. Public comment was welcomed on the proposal to sell the property.
Other Meetings
For those who wish to provide input in person, there is a public comment period at the beginning of each school board meeting. Audience members who wish to speak may sign up at the beginning of the meeting. Comments are limited to three minutes per person.
Written Comments
Written comments to the Eugene School Board may also be sent to board@4j.lane.edu or mailed to the Superintendent’s Office, Eugene School District 4J, 200 N. Monroe St., Eugene OR 97402.
Email List
A mailing list was set up to keep interested parties apprised of new information during the board’s decision-making process. Subscribers were sent meeting notices and information updates related to Civic Stadium.
