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The city of Springfield and Obie Companies are in conversations about a project that would include one-bedroom, two-bedroom and studio apartments on the site of a city-owned parking lot on Main Street.
This story was updated about 4 p.m. Sept. 18 with information from Obie Companies.
The city of Springfield and Obie Companies have taken a step toward the development of a new downtown apartment building on Main Street.
The four- or five-story project would have studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, with ground floor active use, city documents show. The proposed location is a city-owned half-acre parking lot at 538 Main St., south of the Springfield Public Library and between the Emerald Art Center and Springfield History Museum.
Eugene-based Obie Companies has developed several notable projects in downtown Eugene, including the 5th Street Public Market, Inn at the 5th, Gordon Lofts and the Gordon Hotel. This would be Obie Companies’ first development in Springfield.
The city of Springfield first entered into a nonbinding agreement with Obie Companies in 2023, which was the first step, to determine if a project was feasible, according to city documents.
At a Monday, Sept. 15, meeting, the City Council unanimously voted to direct city staff to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the developer. Also a nonbinding agreement, it gives the city and Obie Companies time to work out project details. The timeframe for that agreement is six months, and the site will remain a public parking lot during that time.
“That puts us at approximately mid to late March for both parties to deliver required elements of the MOU,” said Allie Camp, the city’s economic development manager. “It’s a very quick timeframe.”
Camp told councilors she had recently spoken with members of the development team at Obie Companies.
“They remain excited about the prospect of investing in downtown Springfield,” she said.
In an emailed statement to Lookout Eugene-Springfield, Obie Companies’ Director of Development Seth Sherry said, “We recognize that Springfield has invested in its downtown and want to be a part of its continued growth. We also recognize that housing of all kinds is needed in Springfield and believe we can create a unique housing opportunity in an increasingly vibrant downtown.”
If both parties agree to the memorandum of understanding, the next step would be a binding agreement that identifies specifics for the development, including unit numbers, time frame, and commitments from the city and Obie Companies, according to city documents.
“I’m excited that Obie is interested in downtown Springfield,” City Councilor Steve Moe said at the meeting. “It’s really prime property.”
The memorandum of understanding asks Obie Companies to provide the project’s first phase of design, including the numbers of floors and units, unit makeup, design and scale of the building and general use of the ground floor space.
The developer is also responsible for making any anticipated financing requests of the Springfield Economic Development Agency, including how the project meets the goals of the Downtown Urban Renewal Plan, and scheduling a Housing Diversity Tax Exemption Program meeting with the city, among other things.
According to the document, the city needs to negotiate the sale or lease of the property with Obie Companies; negotiate with the developer for use of the city’s adjacent parking lot for the project; and propose a city-owned site to provide a staging area during project construction, among other responsibilities.