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After a two-year fight that included an appeal to the state land-use board, a Eugene advocacy group is finally getting what it wants: a say in what will happen with a 67-acre undeveloped waterfront parcel near the University of Oregon.

UO President Richard Lariviere has asked developer Trammell Crow Co. to consider a second site for the four-story, 79,800-square-foot office building that was pegged for 4.7 acres of the waterfront parcel. Lariviere also called for a new master plan for the entire property.

The announcement encouraged Connecting Eugene 鈥� a group of citizens and UO students, faculty and alumni that has asked for the property to be used as a public amenity since plans for the building surfaced in 2008.

The university teamed up with Trammell Crow in 2008 to start development of a new office building for the Oregon Research Institute, an independent behavioral research center based in Eugene, at 855 Riverfront Parkway.

The building would have been only the third built on the property since 1989, when a master plan called for construction of 10 buildings 鈥� totaling 1.2 million square feet 鈥� for private research. The two existing buildings total 110,000 square feet.

When plans were unveiled for the ORI project, Connecting Eugene 鈥� while working with the University Senate and the Associated Students of the University of Oregon 鈥� immediately responded with concern because the property occupies a prime location along the Willamette River and near campus.

鈥淚’m cautiously optimistic (about the decision),鈥� said UO graduate student and Connecting Eugene member Paul Cziko. 鈥淵et (I’m) delighted that President Lariviere is responding to the concerns of the students, faculty and community members who want to see the Oregon Research Institute project built while protecting the riverfront from inappropriate development.鈥�

Cziko has long called for the property to be developed for a public use. The $17 million ORI project would benefit only the developer, he said, and would be a loss for the university and taxpayers.

While the announcement doesn’t guarantee realization of Cziko’s dream of a public waterfront, it does leave the door open for such development.

鈥淐onnecting Eugene welcomes any move that would expedite construction of the ORI building in a location away from the riverfront,鈥� said Allen Hancock, a member of the group.

Lariviere asked Trammell Crow to consider another university-owned parcel nearly a quarter-mile away at 1700 Millrace Drive. He asked the development firm to simultaneously examine the feasibility of the Millrace Drive site while continuing to plan for the existing site.

鈥淭he decision to postpone development of another new building within the research park allows us to re-examine the best location for the (ORI) building,鈥� Lariviere said. 鈥淏y exploring the feasibility of the 1700 Millrace site, I am confident that we will arrive at the best possible outcome for everyone involved.鈥�

One of the major issues, according to university officials, is whether the Millrace Drive site, which is only 2.5 acres, could accommodate the same building planned for the waterfront site.

According to Steve Wells, senior managing director of Trammell Crow’s Portland office, the company wants to construct a high-quality, energy-efficient building that adds to the Eugene built environment. He said the company is fully committed to developing the waterfront site, but officials are willing to simultaneously explore the other site.

In addition to exploring the alternative site, the university will develop a new master plan before moving forward with any other projects in the research park, according to UO Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Rich Linton. The existing master plan is set to expire in 2012.

鈥淏eyond the project, the university will launch a master planning process to help address future facilities needs for UO’s expanding role in catalyzing innovation and its ties to economic development,鈥� Linton said.

According to Cziko, choosing to leave the riverfront site undeveloped under the existing master plan would allow for renewed citizen involvement. The Associated Students of the University of Oregon already has pledged $56,000 for educational events and opportunities for public involvement related to the riverfront.