Major development approval just granted near the CBD

The Eugene City Council approved a 12-story mixed-use project at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Willamette Street on July 9. The plan calls for 180 apartments above ground-floor retail space on a half-acre parcel two blocks from the Hult Center.

Why the timing matters

Eugene added 1,240 residents last year while the city’s vacancy rate for apartments dropped to 3.8 percent. Local builders have delivered fewer than 400 new units since 2023, leaving downtown workers and University of Oregon staff competing for limited stock near the core. The new building targets that gap with 60 units reserved for households earning 60 percent of area median income.

The site sits one block east of the 5th Street Public Market and across from the Lane County Courthouse annex. Planners required the developer, Pacific Northwest Properties, to include 12,000 square feet of commercial space and a 40-space public parking garage open after 6 p.m. for market visitors.

Numbers behind the approval

Construction cost is listed at $58 million, with work scheduled to begin in March 2027 and finish by late 2029. The project will pay $1.2 million in system development charges to the city’s parks and transportation funds. Traffic studies showed the building will add 210 weekday vehicle trips, below the threshold that would trigger a full environmental impact review.

Residents can review the final site plan and traffic report on the City of Eugene website starting July 15. The planning department will hold a neighborhood open house at the downtown library branch on August 4 at 6 p.m. to answer questions about construction staging and street closures.

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