The three tax lots on Broadway sit green and inviting. Oak trees stand proudly along the northern perimeter and dot the grassy expanse here and there, creating a small oasis in the heart of the city. In the past, the lots have served as a place for the Veneta Downtown Farmer’s Market to set up booths and do business. During the Harvest Festival, they have served as a place for displays, booths, and even a dunk tank. For a while, St. Vincent de Paul, the land’s owner, had planned to erect a combination retail store/apartment building at the site. Now, the city has been developing plans of its own in an attempt to draw more outsiders to downtown Veneta.
The original Masterplan in 2015 resulted in the construction of the Service Center, new sidewalks and streetlights, and the installation of a monument at the corner of Broadway and Territorial. More recently, work has begun behind the scenes on the second Master Plan to develop the grassy expanse into something that could boost the city’s economy. After St. Vinnie’s funding fell through for the planned retail store at this location and things stagnated, the city watched carefully and when the time was right, spoke with those in charge who expressed a willingness to sell the land. The city then took this offer to the Economic Committee who gave the purchase their blessing as long as there was a plan to develop it. The next step was to go before the City Council, which also gave their okay. Now a “visioning process” has begun to determine how best to develop this expanse as a commercial property and make it into something people coming through on their way to Eugene from the coast and vice versa will want to visit as the city hopes to bring about a revitalized downtown. If planning codes allow, the city may erect a three-story building that would be mixed commercial/residential so that those traveling Highway 126 would be able to see it and be drawn in. Matt Michaels, Veneta City Administrator, says the plans for the three tax lots are “being put on the table” to determine how the three-story building would work. “We want to know what can we work with, and what would go well there,” Michaels states. The city intends to be transparent about its plans and intends to seek input from the public about the best use for the land. As for St. Vinnie’s, they still intend to put a store in Veneta, but no details are known at this point.
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