LCC cites progress on the pit
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EUGENE, Ore. -- Fresh off a big victory Monday night at the Eugene City Council, Lane Community College is pushing ahead with plans for a downtown campus.
The school wants to bulid a $35 million, 90,000 square foot campus in the heart of downtown, at 10th and Charnelton, across from the Eugene Public Library. The building would replace a long-negleted vacant lot, notorious for trash and stagnant water.
At a public hearing Tuesday night at the library, school officials said it would be a "signature" building that helps reshape downtown into a bustling urban center.
"We're not only serving students, but we're serving businesses at a time when we really need to grow our economy," said Tony McCown, the vice chairman of the LCC board.
On Monday, the Eugene City Council voted 6-2 in favor of providing $8 million in urban renewal funds for the LCC project.
Mary Spilde, LCC's president, says the remaining sources will include $9 million from the voter-approved bond, $8 million from the state and $10 million through a combination of state and federal tax credits, energy tax credits, and federal grants.
McCown said if funding is secured and the project is put on the fast track, the building could open as early as fall 2012.
