Eric Rust can see Eugene’s newest neighborhood cropping up out of the ground from the side window of Framin’ ArtWorks, a custom framing shop that’s been in business since 1999. The store has maintained its 505 High St. location for the past 8 years, long enough to see the nearby former Eugene Water and Electric Board riverfront property start to undergo a major transformation.
Rust said seeing these apartment complexes developed is “just different” from what the space used to consist of: a utility-owned, industrial property blocked off from public use.
“I think it’s been great. I’ve installed art over there at both places already,” Rust said, referring to the lobbies and model rooms at Heartwood and Portal apartment complexes. “It’s surprising how many apartments have gone up in the last couple of years — down there on Franklin, the Broadway one across from Whole Foods. It’s just amazing that Eugene can support that many apartments.”
What is the Downtown Riverfront?
For decades, Eugeneans have been dreaming of a space in town that connects the Willamette River to urban resources like parks, retail establishments and restaurants…