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Copyright 2003 The Register-Guard. All rights
reserved.)
The River House, home of Eugene's Outdoor Program, is
currently in the throes of a top-to-bottom $293,000 makeover -
everything from foundation work to a new roof, electrical and plumbing
systems to new doors and windows.
The existing building adjacent to the Willamette
River at 301 N. Adams St. has historical value, built early in the last
century, and the overall project - which includes an eventual $750,000
expansion - is less expensive than clearing the property to build from
the ground up.
"The (recreation) staff and us have been looking at
the River House for several years, trying to decide what to do with it,"
says Glen Svendsen, the city's facilities manager. "The idea was to use
the core of the existing structures, because they're there, and the
River House is an old farm house."
Svendsen also points out that the winning bid for the
renovation came in below an estimate two years ago of about $332,000
from an architect for the project. The $293,000 bid from Bineham
Construction Inc. was the lowest of four bids.
The expansion will more than double the size of the
River House, from 2,590 square feet to 5,570 square feet, and will
increase the size of an adjacent canoe shed to 3,020 square feet from
the current 2,090 square feet.
Completion of the second phase will bring the overall
cost-per- square-foot of the River House into line with other projects,
Svendsen says. "It was cheaper to retrofit and expand, rather than
razing it and doing a new project," he says.
Svendsen and others also say the Outdoor Program's
offerings have taken on a higher priority since the city's budget
committee cut $75,000 from its operating budget a year and a half ago.
RENOVATION UNDER WAY
The project, expected to be completed by the end of
the year, includes:
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Demolition of a chimney and exterior stairs
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Construction of a new stairway
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Replacement of siding, windows, doors and roof
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Removal and replacement of interior walls
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New plumbing, wiring, mechanical and alarm systems
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Improved exterior lighting
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Replacement of a gravel parking area with concrete |
