Eugene, University of Oregon negotiating potential land deal for Autzen Complex expansion

The area around Autzen Stadium could look different in the next few years if negotiations between Eugene and the University of Oregon pan out.

Eugene officials voted 7-1 Monday night to continue negotiations on a proposal from the University of Oregon to allow for expansion of the Autzen Stadium Complex. City staff will work to draft potential terms of a purchase and sale agreement for around four acres of land from Alton Baker Park and right-of-way in the area, City Manager Sarah Medary said.

UO announced plans last October to expand the Autzen Complex to accommodate a new, 170,000-square-foot indoor football practice facility and two outdoor practice fields that would include the reconfiguration of Leo Harris Parkway and the area adjacent to the Autzen Complex.

City staff have discussed the proposal with UO, Medary said, telling council they think it's "worthy of your conversation."

Medary said there are similarities between the proposal and discussions between the Eugene Emeralds and Lane County about locating a new stadium and multi-use facility at the Lane Events Center, especially because the city is set to start the master planning process for Alton Baker next year. The expansion plan around the Autzen Complex also could start next year.

UO is asking the city for a land swap, said Denny Braud, the city's executive director of planning and development.

The city would give UO the parking area supporting Alton Baker Park and the Eugene Science Center and some right-of-way to allow realignment of Leo Harris Parkway in exchange for eight university-owned acres alongside the south bank of the Willamette River, just south of the newly opened Downtown Riverfront Park near UO's Knight Campus, Braud said.

As part of the project, the university likely would help add parking lots and drop-off points along Leo Harris Parkway, an accessible parking lot for the Cuthbert Amphitheater, a new boat launch on the canal and take other actions to mitigate potential impacts to the park and science center, he added.

UO has told staff the expansion would be privately funded, he said.

Braud said UO also is open to committing $1 million of university money to a project that would benefit the community. There isn't a set project yet for that funding, he said.

The city and university also are discussing making the new indoor facility a space for shelter during emergency response to earthquakes, wildfire smoke and more.

Councilor Claire Syrett, who is largely ambivalent about the project, said she would want a memorandum of understanding to outline that the indoor facility would be available in case of an emergency requiring a safe, indoor space.

The proposal presented Monday was much better than the university's first offer, Councilor Jennifer Yeh said.

The university has argued that continuing to improve the facilities around the Autzen Complex will benefit Oregon for various reasons, including a boost to recruiting after the announcement USC and UCLA will join the Big Ten in 2024.

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Councilor Matt Keating expressed doubt that a third outdoor practice field would increase recruitment and said he isn't hearing anything that would make him support the project.

"I’m not hearing anything from the university saying, ‘We’re going to stay within our conference,'" he said. "That might be a game changer.”

He added if the university adds an effort to help the Eugene Science Center relocate to the former EWEB building on East Fourth Avenue that also could help convince him.

Councilor Alan Zelenka lamented the "facilities war" in college football but said he sees ample enough community benefit in the proposal to continue negotiating a potential deal.

It's also still too early to be critical "until we have a better idea of what's possible," Councilor Randy Groves said.

Groves added UO is an important partner and is proposing to improve the entire area around Autzen.

"They are definitely a source of bringing wealth into our economy through hotels, restaurants, activities," he said. "They really kind of help keep us on the map, especially as they’re working toward higher levels of academic achievement and education."

Yeh agreed that UO is important to the community but stressed that city officials need to be careful because the community has put trust in them to manage Eugene's park land.

“Once you give up public land, it’s gone forever," she said.

Contact Register-Guard sportswriter Antwan Staley at astaley@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @antwanstaley.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Eugene considering deal with UO to help expand Autzen area