New Eugene Riverfront Park Has a Pricey Price-Tag

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – City officials in Eugene, Oregon, expect to spend $14 million on the planned three-acre riverfront park, the showpiece of the community’s years-long effort to connect downtown with the Willamette River.

The Register-Guard reports they also anticipate spending another $4 million on the neighboring one-acre plaza, which will be constructed in a future phase.

The park, scheduled to be completed well before the 2021 world track and field championships, includes green space, a rebuilt section of the riverfront path that separates cyclists and walkers, narrower pedestrian paths that connect to overlooks, interpretative exhibits and public art.

It is part of the overall transformation of downtown Willamette riverfront land into an accessible riverfront neighborhood destination.

The figures, presented to the City Council during a meeting last week, are the first cost estimates shared publicly about the project since design work began a year or so ago.