The Eugene Mall was a car-free zone in the heart of Eugene, Oregon, United States, designed to encourage pedestrian access to shopping and entertainment areas. Dedicated on February 13, 1971, the mall opened amid three days of fanfare and dreams of a revitalized downtown. Conflict over the scope and use of the mall began immediately and continued for 30 years until the last remaining parts of the mall were opened to automobile traffic. At that time, a former Eugene mayor commented that the city's dreams for a bright future just hadn't worked. Many residents, however, shared the much-earlier view of a former downtown merchant, that Eugene had sustained more damage from the mall than it would have from a natural disaster.
History
The Post–World War II economic expansion created a gradual exodus from city core areas in the United States, and federally funded urban renewal projects empowered communities to demolish historic downtown areas and build new, modern structures. With dramatic increases in automobile purchases accompanied by a post-WWII decline in public transportation, many communities accepted urban renewal financing to demolish buildings and install much-needed parking areas.
As climate-controlled, suburban shopping centers became common in the 1960s, communities began to explore ways of drawing retail and entertainment business back into downtown areas. An experimental method of encouraging business was a downtown mall. One researcher found that approximately 200 pedestrian malls were constructed in the United States by the close of the 20th century, although only 15 remained in 2013.
An Early prediction of the Eugene Mall
In 1963, a Lane County planning director predicted that by 1980, residents of Eugene would live in an age of push-button automation where hands-free cars would speed them into the city core, and they could park in multi-story structures and be whisked on moving sidewalks to an extensive, plastic-covered shoppers' mall.
But the idea of the Eugene Mall had been considered by civic leaders prior to the 1960s. In 1945, for example, Fred Cuthbert proposed closing Willamette Street to cars in order to create a landscaped pedestrian oasis in the center of town, and he suggested parking along the perimeter. As part of the Eugene Centennial Celebration in 1959, a section of Broadway from Oak Street to Charnelton Street was closed to motor traffic, and pedestrians were delighted.
By 1968 the city council was discussing a federally funded urban renewal project to build the Eugene Mall.
University of Oregon east campus
Community leaders in 1961 had responded to demands for more student housing at the University of Oregon with a project known as the East Campus Urban Renewal. The project demolished historic homes east of the university and constructed large residence complexes surrounded by a landscaped campus that opened in 1965. Some reasoned that if a mall environment could work on a college campus, it would surely work in the downtown business district.
Valley River Center
Discussions about the need for a downtown mall intensified when Valley River Center (VRC) opened in 1969. The new shopping center was a modern, climate controlled environment with anchor stores and upscale retail and food outlets. And the VRC offered 4000 free parking spaces.
Eugene inventoried its downtown holdings and found four major department stores, 170 to 200 retail outlets, and an estimated 500 firms including banks and professional offices. Most of the 3000 public parking spaces were metered.
Groundbreaking for the Eugene Mall
Civic leaders determined that the time for a downtown mall had arrived, and construction began May 2, 1970, almost exactly nine months after the opening of Valley River Center.
Geography and amenities
The mall's north–south axis extended on Willamette Street from roughly Eighth Avenue to Eleventh Avenue, with automobile traffic crossing the mall at Tenth Avenue. City bus traffic parked along Tenth Avenue, creating a downtown transfer station. Broadway, a street named in lieu of Ninth Avenue, formed the mall's east–west axis from Charnelton Street to Oak Street.
The mall included five restrooms, two playground areas, and three water features. Largest of the water features was a cement fountain and water pools at the intersection of Willamette and Broadway. Seating areas were stationed at various locations on the mall.
Later, approximately three more blocks were included in the mall, expanding along Olive Street from Eighth Avenue to Tenth Avenue. Covered walkways were placed in alleys within the mall area.