When an Alabama developer built the labyrinthine 13th & Olive student housing complex in Eugene a decade ago, the place quickly became the butt of jibes. The community did not warmly welcome the first super-sized privately owned student housing complex to be built here.
Noise from construction work on the five-story complex drew complaints. When unveiled, the facade proved a stark, bland disappointment. Weather took a toll on the cement siding panels, some of which cracked and are now patched with caulk.
And in the ensuing years, other developers built snazzier student high-rises much closer to the University of Oregon — 13th & Olive is 10 blocks from the UO’s western edge…