City Council, November 27th - A Project for the Old City Hall Site!

Here's something to be thankful for this weekend! On Monday, as Urban Renewal Agency, City Council will consider a plan for redeveloping the Old City Hall site, a long time void in the downtown urban fabric. Be still my beating heart.

High and Chemeketa (streetview, 2012)

Old City Hall, 1966
Looking a little southwest along High Street
University of Oregon, Building Oregon Collection

At the URA is not full consideration of any site plan. It's important to say the project is still conceptual and we've seen proposals for this corner before.

Abandoned concept for High & Chemeketa (2007)
via Skyscraperpage.com

Here's a much grander concept from 2007 or so. It was abandoned in the Great Recession of 2008. Since then the bank on Chemeketa and Liberty was demolished and we still have Belluschi Pond and Crater, which is not part of the proposal at the URA on Monday. 

It's been a struggle to get this block face of Chemeketa going, and it has been very low-value surface parking for 50 years. This new proposal is so welcome.

At the URA is a request for grant and grant exception.

Agency Board action is needed to approve a grant in the amount of $749,999 as an exception to the maximum grant amount of $300,000, which is the maximum amount that can be approved by the Director...

The proposed project is a redevelopment of an existing paid, public parking lot located at 277 High Street NE. Until demolition in 1972, the parking lot was the original location of the old Salem City Hall....

The current redevelopment plan is to demolish the existing parking lot and replace it with a new six-story, mixed-use building, including 105 units, of which seven units will be ground floor commercial live/work units with street front access for the business owners/residents. Fifteen percent of the total units, or 16 units, will be affordable. Total project costs are estimated to be $27M....

The design of the building will include a lobby, community deck, resident community room and on-site bike washing, storage and repair station. The unit mix will be comprised of studios, and one- and two-bedroom units.

An estimated 26-29 parking spaces will be included onsite and residents will be encouraged to use alternative modes of transportation.

Again, as a concept, what's not to love here? And this is the right kind of project for the URA grant funding.

Concept elevations from High and Chemeketa

Site plan concept with interior parking

Of course it is certain to be altered and adjusted as it goes along, and when it is actually up for the formal site plan review, there will be more to say. Some features may get value-engineered out. Still, in outline it looks great.

What a great way to start Thanksgiving weekend.

 Also on this Council agenda:

• A proposal to rehabilitate the south Church Street bridge
• A little greenwash for the airport