Downtown Riverfront Tour

Downtown Riverfront Tour March 5, 2021

The community's vision to reconnect downtown Eugene to the river it was founded on is unfolding before our eyes. Construction crews began working on the 16-acre Downtown Riverfront property in 2020 and continue to make great progress on new streets and sidewalks as well as the new Riverfront Park.

Take this virtual tour for a glimpse of the site's amazing evolution from the comfort of your home. All images in this presentation were taken between February 16 and March 4, 2021.

Downtown Riverfront Infrastructure

The City is building the future development site infrastructure in two phases. Work on the first phase started last year and includes sewers, storm drains, streets, rain gardens, and other roadway amenities on the north end of the project site. Phase two is expected to get underway this spring and will include the construction of three new streets that were named by the community in the southern half of the site. Both phases are expected to be completed by the end of 2021. Above: Recently-poured concrete on the 5th Avenue extension.

A new section of Mill Street will serve as the northern entrance into the Downtown Riverfront. Left: Crews install piping under a future sidewalk on the east side of the street. A new rain garden borders the west side of the street.

Long sections of sidewalk along an extension of Mill Street are already in place. Grates mark the locations of future street trees.

This concrete pattern will be used throughout the Downtown Riverfront property. The design is unique to this area, not used elsewhere in Eugene.

The first new section of Mill Street is complete. From here, drivers can travel under the Ferry Street Viaduct and onto the new Annie Mims Lane, which will soon run parallel to the train tracks. Giant rain gardens treat water from the viaduct above.

Rain Gardens

Thousands of plants are now helping to clean and filter water throughout the Downtown Riverfront site. Rain gardens line all of the streets, including these which receive runoff from the Ferry Street Viaduct. These new gardens will create a significant improvement in the quality of water draining from the viaduct and directly into the Willamette River.

These plants were specifically chosen for their ability to pull toxins from water. They will continue growing over the coming years.

Inlets will allow water to travel between rain gardens.

Excess water from rainfall will flow into storm drains, returning to the river.

A construction worker removes concrete forms on the 5th Avenue extension. This path connects to the park overlook of the Willamette River and Alton Baker Park.

Creating new sidewalks involves cutting contraction joints into the concrete. These joints keep the concrete from creating its own cracks after it has cured.

The bottom two pictures are from opposite ends of 5th Avenue - east of the viaduct. Giant tarps cover freshly poured concrete (bottom left), while closer to the river you get a great view back into downtown (bottom right).

Downtown Riverfront Park

The three-acre Downtown Riverfront Park is at the heart of the new development and will reunite our downtown with the Willamette River. Below: Crews preparing a section of the South Bank Path through the park for concrete.

Crews poured parts of the 5th Avenue overlook in early March, 2021. 5th Avenue will eventually lead to this new perch, offering stunning views of the Willamette River and Alton Baker Park.

The Park offers different paths for people walking and biking. Below, right: Construction crews build the pedestrian path along the top of the newly vegetated high river bank.

It takes an up-close view to ensure things are just right!

The Southern Overlook provides a great vantage point to see the bend in the river with two pedestrian bridges in view. Below: Freshly poured concrete glimmers under the winter sun.

Thank you for taking this virtual tour of the Downtown Riverfront's progress! Learn more about the project on the City's Downtown Riverfront webpage.

For more information on Downtown Riverfront

Appreciate