Related News
Related News
-
September is National Preparedness Month: 3 tips to prepare your home & family
Let's "Be Ready" together!
Find Out More -
EWEB invests in preparedness for severe weather and natural disasters
Just as you take steps to safeguard your home and family, EWEB is investing in equipment and processes to ensure our community’s electric and water systems remain reliable in the face of adversity.
Find Out More -
EWEB customers achieve remarkable results in environmental stewardship through EWEB's Lead Green programs
Subscribers of EWEB's Lead Green programs helped reduce carbon emissions in 2023 by 730 metric tons of CO2e.
Find Out More -
EWEB, SUB and RWD join forces at Lane County Fair to distribute water to fairgoers
The Eugene Water & Electric Board, Springfield Utility Board and Rainbow Water District are teaming up for the 9th year to provide fairgoers with clean, cold free water.
Find Out More -
Community members can test out climate-friendly e-bikes at E-Bike Expo on Saturday
EWEB encourages Eugene residents to ride into summer on clean, accessible e-bikes, with a $300 e-bike rebate.
Find Out More -
EWEB Hosts Dinner to Appreciate Customers of the McKenzie River Valley
EWEB hosted a customer appreciation dinner at the Walterville Community Center on Thursday, May 23, in place of its yearly upriver Board meeting. The event allowed customers, EWEB Commissioners, and staff to share a meal and openly discuss topics most relevant to the McKenzie Valley community.
Find Out More -
EWEB bids a fond farewell to College Hill Reservoir and prepares for modern drinking water storage tanks
Several hundred Eugene residents came together on May 30 for a Farewell Celebration at EWEB’s College Hill Reservoir before demolition and construction to build modern drinking water storage tanks begins later this year.
Find Out More -
EWEB opens application for 2024 Electric Mobility Community Grants
Grant awards of up to $30,000 to cover costs associated with electric mobility projects.
Find Out More -
The Big Freeze 2024: After Action Report
Winter 2024 was one for the records books, and we'll look back on it for years to come and say, "That was a doozy!" The back-to-back January Ice Storms caused widespread damage to EWEB’s service territory, affecting approximately 38,000 customers. Preliminary repair costs were over $8 million, and additional repairs to transmission lines are still required.
Find Out More -
Fixing the Unseen: Water Pipeline Replacement in Unincorporated Eugene
Learn more about EWEB's methods for monitoring and replacing aged water pipelines.
Find Out More -
Spring Cleaning? How about Spring Emergency Preparedness!
Spring is officially here and that means the plants are blooming, the sun is (sometimes) shining, and the grass is green! We've had our fair share of severe weather already, but spring weather is notoriously unpredictable. While you're in the midst of spring cleaning and garden care, consider completing these emergency preparedness tasks.
Find Out More -
EWEB General Manager Delivers 2024 State of the Utility
General Manager Frank Lawson delivered his address at the March 5 public Board of Commissioners meeting
Find Out More -
Nine days without power: My ice storm story as an EWEB customer and employee
While beautiful and peaceful, buying a home on the edge of the forest and surrounded by trees has its tradeoffs. Moving “upriver,” I knew there would be more threats to prepare for, including Mother Nature’s seasonal surprises.
Find Out More -
EWEB achieves power restoration milestone over the weekend
Crews have so far restored power for 92% of customers who originally lost power at the height of the ice storm.
Find Out More -
Reenergized McKenzie River Valley transmission lines allow EWEB crews to restore power upriver
On Friday, a majority of EWEB crews tackled power restoration efforts upriver, after federally managed transmission lines were reenergized Thursday.
Find Out More - Show More
EWEB, City Complete Riverfront Property Sale
April 17, 2018
Redevelopment efforts for Eugene's downtown riverfront jumped forward on April 17 when the City completed the purchase of 16 acres of property formerly used as EWEB's operations yard.
The largely vacant riverfront property, immediately south of our Headquarters Building at 500 E. Fourth Ave., holds enormous redevelopment potential. The sale to the City enables acres of underutilized land along the river to begin the transition from a decades-long industrial hub to a vibrant, multi-use neighborhood, riverfront park and community gathering place.
Reconnecting downtown to the riverfront is a vision the community, EWEB and the City have been working toward for more than a decade
"Getting to this point with the property sale is a proud day for EWEB, the City and our mutual customers -- and shows that a cooperative approach between agencies can yield beneficial results," said Frank Lawson, EWEB's general manager. "Our early investment in a community-master plan and the collaborative work with the city over these past years makes us excited about the future of downtown Eugene."
EWEB completed the foundational work necessary to prepare the property for a different future, including adopting a site master plan with broad community support, collaborating with the City on rezoning to allow for mixed-use development and a public park along the river's edge, conducting environmental remediation work, and undertaking other pre-development activities.
"The sale of the property to the City represents the last major milestone for EWEB," Lawson said. "This is good for our customers because we can get out of the real estate business and focus on the core services of delivering pure water and reliable electricity," he said.
The City is well-positioned and committed to the next phase of redevelopment, and will continue to advance the community's interest in a high-quality, publicly accessible development along the river that is done in an environmentally responsible way.
"Reconnecting downtown to the river has been a long-held goal, and redevelopment of the site is key to creating a vibrant people-place along the river," said Denny Braud, Executive Director of the City's Planning and Development Department. The city is working with Portland-based developer Williams & Dame to redevelop the property consistent with the 2010 EWEB Riverfront Master Plan and the concept plan presented to City Council in January.
The City's Parks and Open Space Division has already started the process for the design and construction of the future 3-acre riverfront park identified in the Master Plan, and have selected a design consultant team led by Walker Macy. The conceptual design phase is expected to be completed in fall 2018, including public input over the next several months. Project permitting and construction documentation will follow, with park construction expected to begin in 2020. The goal is to have the riverfront park completed in time for the 2021 World Track and Field Championships.
The City is also planning to solicit proposals to redevelop the Steam Plant building located on the property. The redevelopment of the Steam Plant is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to honor the historic significance of the downtown riverfront site while embracing its potential as a place of community pride and gathering. For more information on the Downtown Riverfront visit the City's website at https://www.eugene-or.gov/riverfront.