Document text
SUNNY Temp: 88 °F Wind: SW at 6 mph Thursday, July 24, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 10, 2003 Downtown to get face-lift, more parking Medford Urban Renewal Agency prepares to adopt city’s new budget By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune More parking, a new street and remodeled building fronts are in store for downtown Medford this year. The list of projects was released as the Medford Urban Renewal Agency prepares to adopt a $21 million budget for fiscal year 2003-04. The budget will be voted on at the MURA board meeting at 7 p.m. today in City Hall’s council chambers. The agency will get a jump on additional parking with the demolition of a former used car lot at Riverside and 10th streets beginning this week. That will make room for the new Central Library parking lot, said MURA director Don Burt. The work should be complete in September, he said. Also in the proposed budget is construction of the agency’s second parking structure, which will have at least 400 parking spaces. Work is expected to begin next spring on the site at Eighth and Fir streets. Advertisement Jerry Ehlers, a real estate agent, welcomed the news of more downtown projects. He said he frequently hears from out-of- town clients that downtown Medford has grown more lively and attractive in recent years. Ehlers, president of the Heart of Medford Association and member of the MURA budget committee, said that a decade ago, downtown was unhealthy. "I saw empty stores, broken windows and paint peeling off the buildings," said Ehlers. He credits the agency with bringing inspiration and money to downtown, so that now, 14 years after its inception, "you’ve got an active downtown." "My hat goes off to urban renewal," he said. MURA hopes to begin construction this fall of Evergreen Way, a new tree-lined roadway running from Fourth Street to 10th Street, adjacent to the railroad tracks. The first phase will involve putting in a street with on- street parking and a sidewalk alongside the tracks between Main and Fourth streets, with a black ornamental fence separating pedestrians from the train tracks. The budget also reflects MURA’s plans to continue partnerships with building owners to revamp their buildings’ appearances. A facade improvement program, which began in April 2000, contributes up to $15,000 per remodeling project in the historic area. There have been 25 businesses that have taken advantage of the program, with 14 more lined up to do the same, according to Eric Iversen, a senior planner with MURA. The Franklin building, 125 Central Avenue, between the Yellow Submarine Sandwich Shop and Rogue Community College, is next in line for a dress up, he said. Also scheduled is the Veterans of Foreign Wars building at 42 N. Front St. MURA’s projects have ranged from new sidewalks and street lights to partnerships with the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater and a parking structure at 6th Street and Riverside Avenue. Ehlers said MURA is starting something that will continue to keep downtown alive even after the agency goes away in 2013. "Our association is what’s going to carry on after urban renewal is gone," he said. "It will then take over their responsibilities." Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times