New Midtown Arts Center

In 2006, Eugene Ballet purchased and began renovating the 13,700 square foot building at 1590 Willamette Street in Midtown Eugene. Since then, Midtown Arts Center has provided a home for Eugene Ballet. Eugene Ballet’s long term vision of financially supporting this home included bringing seven additional nonprofit arts organizations under its roof, generating income by keeping rents consistently below commercial rates, and sharing infrastructure and general maintenance costs. Increased interactivity between the organizations was also intended to promote cost savings and enriching collaborations.

What began as a novel idea 10 years ago—to bring together seven of Eugene’s signature non-profit arts organizations into one building—has been experienced as a tremendous success for all of the organizations involved.

Now there is an opportunity to lift this success to the next level by assuring that the future growth of these organizations is limited not by the size of the facility but only the reach of their vision. Ballet companies with building they designed themselves are in a healthier condition overall.

Eugene Ballet is working with Alex Haugland, a longtime supporter of Eugene’s local performing arts groups, and a team led by Dustrud Architecture and Essex General Construction to redevelop a 20,000 square foot parcel of land at 16th Avenue and Pearl Street in to a mixed-use commercial project that combines expanded nonprofit spaces for the Midtown Arts Center, surrounded by 30+ privately owned apartments, condos, and townhouses. This opportunity allows Eugene Ballet to own a new permanent home designed specifically to expand the capacity of its Academy while also providing increased accessibility to valuable rehearsal spaces for Eugene Ballet and other Eugene nonprofit arts organizations.

The completed project will provide new housing, vibrancy and arts engagement to Eugene’s Midtown, catalyzing adjacent development, restaurants and street life, and enhancing the quality of living in this area.

Eugene Ballet’s commitment to this innovative collaboration is a significant investment in our community will provide:

• Increased access to dance studio space for an additional 150-200 children and 50-100 adults.
• Increased office, rehearsal and program development spaces for the current and future potential nonprofit arts organizations.
• Additional jobs for 150+ local workers during the construction and build out.
• Additional growth potential for 20 new positions within the nonprofit arts organizations.
• The living spaces designed above the new Midtown Arts Center will provide homes for more than 60 people and will provide long-term financial support for Eugene Ballet.
• There will be underground parking as well as 30 parking spots around the building.

Eugene Ballet will sell their current building, which they own outright, at 1590 Willamette Street. This will fund more than 50% of what Eugene Ballet needs to purchase and build out the portion of the new building allocated for the new Midtown Arts Center. They are seeking only 1.8 million in individual and foundation support. The rest of the funding will come from government support, Alex Haugland and additional private investors.

The goal for completion is 2020.