M.U.R.A. is located at 45 S. Holly Street, Medford Oregon 97501. If you'd like to contact us please visit our contact section.
MISSION
The mission of the M.U.R.A's Board is to eliminate blight and depreciating property
values in areas within the Agency's jurisdiction, and in the process, attract aesthetically pleasing,
job producing private investments that will improve and stabilize property values and protect the
area's historic places and values.
VISION PLAN
Successfully revitalizing the downtown, and to maximize the benefits of that revitalization, define
how the downtown works as a place, and clearly understand the role of the downtown as a regional
urban center in the future of Medford and the Rogue Valley.
PLAN OBJECTIVE
Define the market dynamics of the downtown, its assets and challenges, and describe the long-term
role of the downtown as not only the city center for Medford, but also a regional center for
government, business, entertainment, and culture.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
To accomplish its mission the Agency's Board will develop and implement through the City Center
Revitalization Plan, a program that achieves the following goals and objectives for Downtown Medford:
Downtown is the traditional, historic, cultural and economic center of Medford, Jackson County and the Rogue Valley. Revitalization policies and activities should reinforce and enhance the position of Downtown Medford in the Region.
In the long run, continued efforts in retaining and enhancing the Downtown's regional position are an important element in establishing a sense of place and identity for the City of Medford.
All places need an acknowledged purpose to support its sustainability. For the Downtown, that purpose is to server as a regional center for government, business and more.
Growth pressures in the Rogue Valley region are placing demands on the natural environment and existing infrastructure, especially roads. Re-focusing economic and community development activities to lessen "sprawl" and revitalize existing communities, particularly Downtown Medford, hold the key to properly managing growth.
To balance the continued growth pressures in the Rogue Valley, targeted revitalization and redevelopment activities should reinforce the regional role of Downtown.
Traditionally, Downtown Medford has functioned as an integrated city center where people live, work, enjoy recrational, educational, social and cultural activities, and have access to a wide spread spectrum of goods and services. Revitalization policies and activities should reinforce and enhance Medford's city center characteristics.
To function properly as an integrated city center, pedestrian and vehicular movement must be properly balanced. Road design policies and standards should give priority to providing convenient access to Downtown activities rather than maximizing the flow of through-traffic.
The architectural variety of structures in Downtown is of critical importance in creating its unique character and in preserving Medford's heritage. Revitalization policies and activities must place a high priority on retaining and restoring Medford's historic assets that are determined to be of local, regional, or national significance.
The revitalization of Downtown is a long-range planning vision requiring many, many individual contributions to fully succeed. Public resources must be leveraged, to the greatest extent possible, with institutional, commercial and private investment.
ADMINISTRATION
Staffing includes:
Two Administrative Support Technicians, and one Executive Director who answers to a
Board of Directors consisting of nine community members.
Further community participation is provided through four committees: Budget, Marketing, Downtown Design, and Parking. Each of those committees is made up of nine members.
Agency's Attorney of Record is Daniel C. Thorndike. Agency's Engineer of Record is Hardey Engineering, Inc. Contracted support services include project managers and technical resources.
BACKGROUND
M.U.R.A. was charged with preparation of an urban renewal plan for the City of Medford
and to carry out the elimination of blight and depreciating property values in an identified area of 576.51 acres.
This offered an opportunity within the City Center for large scale mixed-use redevelopment encompassing the smaller
cultural, educational, government, business and entertainment districts within the Downtown.
Within those districts, the most obvious opportunities were already in place to receive urban renewal assistance for new or improved housing, parks, theaters, storefronts, sidewalks, lighting and parking.