jan-2018

42 43 on one of our street sweepers,”he says.“We’re also working on an update to the sewer collection systemmaster plan,which is, basically, all the pipes. And that is because we’re going through an urban growth boundary expansion.That application is with the state, right now, and we need the sewer master plan to include all that increased area.We’re also doing a transportation system plan update for the same reason.” Crebbin also reports that Medford’s downtown continues to experience revitalization,with the addition of new businesses, such as Lithia Motors, the fourth largest automotive retailer in the United States,which built its corporate headquarters there in 2012 and partnered with the city to create The Commons, a downtown development built to pro- vide more parking, recreation, and commerce in the area.“We built a two block park area right next door where the community events happen and, since then, three other corporate entities moved their offices downtown,”he relates.“We’ve reconstructed several of the streets–most of themwith bulb-outs at the corners to shorten pedestrian crossings.And MEDFORD, OREGON n BioSpan Technologies, Inc. www.biospantech.com Founded in 1993, by Dr. Shel Chesky in St. Louis,MO, BioSpan’s team of scientists and re- searchers have since developed inventive solu- tions for the world’s toughest industries. Its FDA and EPA licensed manufacturing plant includes four research and development laboratories that concentrate on creating new products for: pavement preservation solutions, crude and heavy oil products, bio-decontamination, envi- ronmental recovery and resource utilization of solid waste, and cleaners and degreasers. PREFERRED VENDOR we are working on downtown housing strategies.The obstacle is a lot of old buildings–functional buildings that are still operating-but in order to remodel themwith any kind of housing, you’d have to do seismic retrofits,which prices downtown housing in existing buildings out of the market. So that is an area the city is working on, as well, recognizing that a lot of people want to live down- town.” “Also, there are two colleges nearby– Southern Oregon University and Rogue Community College,”Crebbin adds. “Ten years ago, SOU and RCC partnered to build a higher education center in downtown Medford so that students wouldn’t have to commute so far to go to class. Right next door to that, the county built a new library.And there’s a new police station the city just complet- ed a couple of years ago. So, there has been a lot happening downtown and a lot has changed in the last 20 years.”