Phoenix City Hall An outdoor food court could bring the first commercial park on a piece of land that the city’s urban renewal agency acquired six years ago in downtown Phoenix. It would be next to the city’s Civic Center building on Main Street. The City Renewal Board’s board agreed July 7th to strike an agreement with two developers, but work has only just begun as both parties awaited new planting of the land, which Jackson County took in on Aug. 20, Phoenix Phoodery would be developed by commercial real estate agent Eric Herron and contractor Kyle Taylor of Taylored Elements Construction. A central building would provide space for five food companies, a tap house, kitchen rooms and services. Seating would be in an open space with roof covering, heating supplies and roller doors. “We have been working with PHURA for several years on this deal, in which we can create a social center for the community,” said Herron. “(Customers) would have several options compared to the park. The bike path is very close by. ”The developers are preparing a disposition and development contract that includes the agency’s sale of the one-third acre property to Herron and Taylor. Phoenix would retain ownership of a small piece of land on the site, which includes a large maple tree, and steps would be taken to avoid damage during construction. The couple would sell or lease the restaurant space. The court would allow restaurant owners who lost their property in the Almeda fire or others to own their kitchen spaces. Most restaurants work in rented space, Herron said. Restaurateurs who buy space would have a say in how the business is run within the framework of agreements. “Very few restaurant owners can ever own their own restaurant,” said Herron. “I think this would be a good opportunity for you to do that.” Herron said he would like to see a variety of foods offered to families and people with special dietary needs. The partners would own the tap house and hire a manager to run it, Herron said. The Phoodery would be modeled after the Lot in Bend, but with a few differences. The Lot has food trucks that surround a central room with a tap house. Lamps and fireplaces in the roofed area provide warmth. “It works in Bend. It `s cold here. It’s not fully heated, but there are some heat lamps and you could pull down the doors if it gets cold, ”said Taylor. Misters would be built in to provide summer cooling. “We were always looking for a project that would really transform this land into the highest and best use for the city of Phoenix,” said PHURA CEO Al Muelhöfer. Studies by the Oregon Department of Transportation show that 6,600 cars drive down Main Street every day, and he wants some of those people to stop. “I think it’s a nice concept. I don’t know of any other place in the valley where there are various food stands where you can sit outside, ”says Muelhöfer. The speakers during a public input session at the meeting all supported Phoodery as a good cause for Phoenix. A civil engineer was hired to make the final drawings for the proposed one-story structure. Concept designs were created by Herron and rendered by Ron Rivards of 3D Modeling, Ashland, for materials shown at the July meeting. Should an agreement be reached, construction work could begin in the first quarter of 2022, Herron said. In 2015, PHURA amassed almost 30 hectares of land in the city center. The agency removed some older buildings, but development has been slow. Parking spaces and lanes were created and infrastructure installed for future development. It also turned a wetland into a park and restored streams that run through the property. The partners and PHURA have discussed the possible development of other plots the agency has for sale in the area, but both parties said the creation of the Phoodery takes precedence over agreements on future phases. PHURA completed the $ 2.8 million Civic Center in 2018 and handed it over to the city that now manages the building. It hosts city meetings and a variety of events and activities, and rents the space to groups. Members of the Urban Renewal Committee also heard a proposal for a nature learning center on the agency’s property next to Blue Heron Park during the July 7 meeting. The idea was brought up by members of the Rogue Valley Pollinator Project and other groups. The agency decided to put the proposal on hold while it investigates how best to use the website. You can reach Ashland, Tony Boom, freelance writer at tboomwriter@gmail.com.
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