SPRINGFIELD – In its search for housing shortage solutions, the City is looking to convert a parking lot on Main Street into a several-story apartment complex.
In mid-September last year, the Springfield City Council entered an agreement with a Eugene-based developer, Obie Companies Incorporated, for a new downtown apartment complex. At a Jan. 12 Springfield Economic Development Agency board meeting, plans for development further evolved.
A city center parking lot at 538 Main St. is intended to be redeveloped into a four- or five-story building with studios and one- and two-bedroom units, with ground-floor active use. The lot is sandwiched between the Springfield History Museum and the Emerald Arts Center, where people park for both.
Obie Companies has developed the Gordon Hotel, 5th Street Public Market, and Inn at the Fifth in Eugene. The developer has yet to break ground in Springfield, with this project marking its first.
On Oct. 15, 2025, the City entered a non-binding agreement, called a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with Obie Companies that provides a framework for negotiations and the preparation of a future binding agreement.
The agreement between the City and Obie Companies engages both the City Council and SEDA. The purpose of the meeting on Jan. 12 was to delegate project negotiations to SEDA and Obie Companies only to maintain efficiency and clarity.
“The interest in bringing this project to fruition is shared between the City and SEDA,” Allie Camp, economic development manager, said. “The proposed development work and project negotiations align with the work of SEDA, and your Downtown Urban Renewal Plan identifies that SEDA may undertake projects such as this to further the goals of the plan, which include growing the tax base and developing public and private partnerships.”
The City and SEDA have drafted a written delegation agreement outlining each party’s rights and obligations in connection with negotiating the development with the Obie Companies. The City has the authority to provide final approval to implement the binding agreement on the City’s behalf.
The SEDA board unanimously adopted a resolution to accept the delegation.
