The Eugene City Council voted 5 to 3 Monday to use urban renewal funds for four downtown projects.
The city will allocate $19.4 million in property tax revenue to a downtown urban renewal district. That includes expanding the park blocks, improving Farmer’s Market space, putting high speed fiber downtown and turning the old Lane Community College building into an innovation hub. Councilor Chris Pryor:
Pryor: “I think a good tool is a good tool and if you have a tool that works, then you should continue to use that tool and use it as long as you can use it accountably and use it responsibly. And I think in our history we have used urban renewal accountably and responsibly.”
Councilors Betty Taylor, George Brown and Alan Zelenka voted against the urban renewal district. One of their objections was that in 2010 when the city approved urban renewal funds, councilors added a provision that that was their last time to use them.
