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Brightening downtown Mail Tribune / Jim Craven This nondescript section of Central Avenue at the intersection with Ninth Street in downtown Medford will get a facelift in the near future as the county builds its $18 million main library branch. The new building will be the third in a string of major projects on Central built in the past decade in the downtown core, following in the footsteps of the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater and Rogue Community College�s office and classroom building. This summer, three big projects in Medford�s core will start putting a new face on the area By Shari Downhill Downtown Medford will begin to take on an entirely new look this summer as three major urban renewal projects get under way. Intended to bring back the vitality of the 1900s, the three projects are the multi-use Winetrout project, a new Jackson County Library main branch and The Evergreen, a boardwalk-like corridor designed to encourage redevelopment of Medford�s industrial district between Eighth and 10th streets. The Medford Urban Renewal Agency has played a central role in the development and choreography of the projects. "Downtowns traditionally have always had a sense of place, just because that�s where the community began," said Mike Weber, Medford Urban Renewal�s senior planner. As Medford has matured and seen the construction of the interstate and countless disassociated construction projects, the downtown area has lost its central attraction, Weber maintains. "A lot of people want that back," he said. "That�s why we�re here. It�s why this is happening all over the country. "The big projects will drive most of the little projects." Those projects, big and little, will change the face of downtown Medford. Jackson County Library Construction of the new library building, considered the southern anchor of the downtown renewal effort, will likely begin next year and be completed by fall 2003. It will cost roughly $18 million. On the western half of the block between Ninth and 10th streets, the 78,000-square-foot library will accommodate both the general public and nearby Rogue Community College and reach as tall as the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater. Designed by the Portland architectural firm Fletcher, Farr & Ayotte, the new library will be one of the first in the state to serve both the public and junior college students. "That�s fairly uncommon," said Ronnie Budge, Jackson County Library director. "But, in this case, RCC is in a perfect location (downtown). "With the new library, the public will get more bang for the buck. We�re really making every effort to make this a very warm, inviting and comfortable space." Winetrout building Consuming the entire city block between Main and Eighth streets and Fir Street to the railroad tracks, the Winetrout building is an ambitious attempt to create a multiuse complex. It would include a 396-space parking structure, 21,000 square feet of retail space, 40,000 square feet of office space, and 34 to 36 apartments accounting for another 33,350 square feet. The city�s urban renewal district will issue a request for proposals from potential developers on Monday, said Don Burt, Urban Renewal�s director. "We decided to develop an idea of what we want and then look for a developer," Burt said. "On Monday night we�ll finish reviewing the project and then go out and look for a developer." The $18 million project will be built in three stages, Burt said. Once a developer is found, the parking garage will be built using urban renewal funding. The $4 million structure will be publicly owned and used by both the public and tenants of the $9 million office-retail complex, which will be privately financed. The $5 million apartment portion of the development will be offered first to the office complex�s developer. "We don�t want to build anything if we don�t have a developer," Burt said, adding that several already have expressed interest. Despite dire economic predictions pouring out in recent weeks, Burt said the project is timed to begin early next year. Economic predictions show the economy will rebound by then, Burt said. Current conditions shouldn�t dissuade potential developers, Burt said. Urban Renewal would prefer to have a single developer for the entire project but would be willing to divvy it up. "If we were going into construction tomorrow, that (the current economic climate) would be a concern. But we�re not," Burt said, adding that office and retail space are in high demand, despite the current availability of both downtown. "That doesn�t bother me at all," Burt said. "Look around and ask why they are vacant. They need renovation. "If we sat there and waited until everything was filled, we�d lose a lot of downtown tenants. If you don�t grow you die. (Downtown) landlords that are renovating are getting tenants. The ones that aren�t renovating are not getting tenants." The Evergreen The Evergreen, a reclaimed railroad corridor between Jackson and 10th streets, will be transformed into a pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined boardwalk-like area designed for strolling, entertainment and casual visits. The Evergreen will act as the catalyst around which downtown activity will gravitate, Weber said. The area will include a street with parking and was designed to encourage redevelopment of the industrial area along the railroad tracks. The boardwalk area will be constructed in phases, with the first section to be completed adjacent the Winetrout building from Main to Eighth streets. Streetscapes, parking lots Downtown streetscapes will be created along with the three major construction projects, Weber said. Although total construction costs have not been established, street and sidewalk improvements and added pedestrian amenities will be constructed from Main Street south to 10th Street in several phases. The streetscape section along the new library will be delayed until that project is under way. Medford�s Urban Renewal Agency also will oversee the re-construction of two parking areas along Central between Eighth and 10th streets, Weber said. "Right now they�re just old and ugly," he said. "When they�re finished, they�ll be very pedestrian-oriented." While the construction projects are in progress, utilities will be placed underground. "Cleaning up Medford�s skyline ... is one of the most expensive and ugly fixes we have to do in downtown," he said. "Right now, we have transformers that go back years. "The whole south end of downtown is going to change in the next three years. You won�t recognize it," Weber said. "We want to recreate and bring back what downtown used to be. "People want to come back and know where their roots are. They want to feel like they belong." Reach reporter Shari Downhill at 776-4463, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.