Eugene finalizes $12M purchase of former EWEB headquarters for new city hall

Miranda Cyr, Register-Guard
·2 min read
The former Eugene Water and Electric Board headquarters sits along the riverfront in Eugene.
The former Eugene Water and Electric Board headquarters sits along the riverfront in Eugene.

After six months of negotiations, the City of Eugene officially owns the former Eugene Water & Electric Board headquarters. It will be transformed into Eugene’s new city hall.

EWEB in 2018 declared the property along the downtown riverfront at 500 E. Fourth Ave. as surplus and has moved all employees to its new Roosevelt Operations Center.

City Manager Sarah Medary and EWEB General Manager Frank Lawson signed the closing documents and officially handed over the site keys Tuesday, purchasing the property for $12 million.

“This is an exciting day and step for Eugene,” Medary stated in a news release. “After more than a decade without a city hall, it feels very good to say that we’ve finalized this purchase in a location that builds on our great history and relationship with EWEB, connects our downtown to the Willamette River and uses city funds responsibly.”

Eugene has been without a city hall since the 777 Pearl St. location, which opened in the 1960s, closed in 2012 due to concerns over a lack of seismic stability in the case of a severe earthquake. The building was demolished in 2014.

The city has been leasing space in the downtown core at Lane Community College and other buildings.

The Eugene City Council on Jan. 30 voted 7-1 to approve the proposed purchase. The terms of the deal on the 4.4-acre property include two buildings and parking lots.

City staff says the new Fourth Avenue location will allow for better community engagement, public space on the river and increased ease of access to city services.

“We’re glad that the City of Eugene is buying EWEB’s former riverfront headquarters site to maintain this location as a space for the community,” Lawson said. "Selling the site to the city aligned with EWEB’s core values and serves our customers well.”

Several Central Services Department offices, including the city manager’s office, will relocate to the new site first. An exact timeline has not yet been finalized, but city hall offices are expected to open to the community in early 2024.

As part of the sale, EWEB will maintain about 1,000 square feet of shared public-facing space where customers can make an appointment to conduct EWEB business.

Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Eugene finalizes $12M purchase of EWEB HQ for new city hall