What's that? Construction in Riverfront District

Project: Development of the Downtown Riverfront Plaza.

Location: 555 Ferry St., Eugene.

Eugene’s Downtown Riverfront neighborhood has been bustling with new construction projects for multiple new housing developments, like Heartwood and Portal , the new City Hall and the completed Riverfront Park for years.

The incoming Downtown Riverfront Plaza is the district’s latest project to break ground. The plaza’s design was completed last summer and is envisioned to be tucked between multi-family housing buildings and what is eventually expected to be a restaurant once the area is fully developed.

The park plaza is planned to include features such as a play lawn, a grove, an event area, an interpretive water feature with misters and a splash pad. The plaza is expected to open for use in the summer of 2025.

This part of town is planned to see more housing developed in the form of townhomes and affordable housing units in the coming years. A parcel map shows what the district is expected to look like once it is fully developed.

Another noteworthy project in the works for the Downtown Riverfront district is the redevelopment of the Steam Plant building. This building is expected to undergo a complete overhaul, transforming it from a no-longer-used historic utility hub to a hotel, restaurant, retail, workspace, gallery and creative space for Eugeneans and visitors to enjoy right alongside the Willamette River. The project team is currently working on a development agreement and hopes to begin construction in 2026.

Plaza Size: The park plaza is one acre. The Downtown Riverfront neighborhood is about 16 acres in total.

Building Contractor: Brown Contracting, Inc., of Eugene.

Sources: City of Eugene Planning and Development Department Permit Records, City of Eugene Parks and Open Space, Lane County Property Records.

Is there something under construction that you’d like to learn more about? Contact growth and development reporter Hannarose McGuinness at hmcguinness@registerguard.com

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: What's that? Construction in Riverfront District