Lane Event Center master-plan visioning recommends feasibility studies for hotel and multiuse sports; work group highlights community values

Lane County staff and consultants presented a community-engagement report on Aug. 26 outlining recommendations for a master plan and site concept for the Lane Events Center (LEC). The visioning work group—s final recommendations call for targeted feasibility studies (hotel and multiuse sports/convention expansion), a comprehensive funding strategy and phased master planning while continuing community engagement.

Corey Buller, Lane Events Center manager, and consultant Jessica Bull described the engagement program: stakeholder interviews, a community survey with more than 600 responses, three open houses (about 100 participants) and a six-month visioning work group of 16 members. Project web materials reported nearly 900 respondents across methods and over 1,500 website visits. The work group—s guiding principles emphasize fiscal responsibility while retaining the LEC as a community asset and multiuse facility.

The recommended site concept modernizes facilities, improves circulation and entries, adds outdoor green-space improvements and shows potential new or renovated buildings: an expanded convention center, a multiuse flexible building for events and sports (including indoor sports and possibly indoor track), and retaining parking and green areas. The consultants noted the hotel idea would need a feasibility study to examine community benefits, neighborhood fit and financial structure; the work group recommended that any public-private partnership must demonstrate retained community benefit.

Consultants and staff emphasized the site concept is visionary and intentionally nonprescriptive; both the hotel and a new multiuse indoor sports facility were flagged for additional programmatic and market-demand study before committing to design or construction. The report also lists unanswered strategic questions: program and revenue analysis, comprehensive funding strategy, and specific operations and programming models.

Commissioners praised the inclusive process and encouraged next steps. Commissioner Farr and others noted the site—s long community history and the need for incremental, feasible investments; Commissioner Buck flagged the hotel and convention expansion as revenue-generating priorities to support long-term capital work. Commissioners asked for the feasibility studies to include market demand, occupancy/utilization assumptions (including year-round vs. seasonal use), site footprint alternatives and potential impacts to adjacent neighborhood, infrastructure and stormwater.

Board members and staff also noted the LEC—s role in emergency response (warming and cooling centers, sheltering during the Fair) and community services (food drives, blood drives, hundreds of events annually). Staff said immediate maintenance and smaller improvements should proceed while feasibility and master-plan work are commissioned.

Ending: The board indicated support to move to the next phase, asking staff to return with a more detailed plan for feasibility studies and a master-plan procurement and funding approach so further analysis can be conducted before larger capital commitments are made.