What's that going on at the former Town Home Motel in Eugene's Whiteaker Neighborhood?

Project: A remodeled mixed-use development featuring 11 renovated motel rooms and three ground-floor retail suites.

Location: 570 Lawrence St., Eugene.

Eugene’s Whiteaker neighborhood is seeing a blast from the past receive a new life as the former Town Home Motel is being transformed into The Local Motel and Shops.

Designed by Eugene native Jordan Iverson, The Local Motel and Shops hopes to combine thoughtful design and intentional retail partnerships in an effort to infuse life back into a long-vacant motel space.

About The Local Motel and Shops’ owner Jordan Iverson

Iverson said he has been designing and building spaces ever since dropping out of college 24 years ago. He said he is 100% self-taught and loves to create spaces that blend architecture, art and local materials.

He said this transition is well-reflected in his most recent project, the 505 Eugene, an eight-room boutique hotel that occupies the top floor of a 1900’s brick building in the 5th Street Market area. Iverson said each project he takes on provides an opportunity to develop his skills and learn something new.

Starting with smaller project and working up to larger spaces, like The Local Motel and Shops, helped him scale up the development process effectively, Iverson said.

“I always learn from every project and grow from that, but I’d say that I’m glad that I started with smaller hospitality projects first over the years so that this larger undertaking felt achievable when ordering and sourcing all the interiors and guest amenities,” he said.

The Local Motel and Shops has a design theme hinging on Iverson’s inspirations of intentional, timeless design that utilizes thoughtful materials with innovative color and design features. Each room features 10 to 15 unique art pieces inspired by local places and culture with over 125 total pieces of art that Iverson carefully curated.

Renovating and reviving the former Town Home Motel

Eleven suites make up the bookable rooms of The Local Motel and three retail spaces comprise the ‘shops’ portion of the property. All of this work has been in progress for about two years.

The rooms maintained their original sizes but received all new interior fixtures in the renovation, from the floors and showers to the electrical, HVAC, lighting and plumbing.

The retail spaces in the single-story portion of the building are 571 square feet., 926 square feet and square feet with vaulted ceilings and new installations of storefront glass. Originally, this portion of the building was occupied by hotel rooms. The renovation of these spaces also included adding skylights, lighting and new bathrooms.

Two out of three of the retail spaces are already accounted for with the final tenant space still for lease. Yamada Vending is a Japanese-based food, drink and collectible self-service vending machine location. The second tenant is SnapShot Photography Studio, which has rentable photography studios as well as a creative space for event use and more.

When will The Local Motel and Shops open and how do I book a stay?

Iverson said The Local Motel and Shops had a soft opening on April 27 and hosted its first guest, who left a “great review.” He said there isn’t a finalized date for the official grand opening, but he plans to host an open house event for the community and friends in early summer.

Once open, visitors can book a stay directly at The Local’s website for the best value or through other sites like Expedia, Booking.com, Airbnb and Stash Hotel Rewards, a loyalty program that partners with select independent boutique hotels nationwide.

Eugene’s Whiteaker Neighborhood was recently named a top urban haven, and Iverson said he is excited to have this specific location because of its proximity to the city’s "Fermentation District" of growing breweries, distilleries and tasting rooms as well as the prominent 5th Street Market area. He said he’s lived in Eugene for his whole life and despite knowing “the area has had challenges,” he thinks the spot offers great access to other local resources, as well as convenient freeway access.

“This was the perfect spot sitting right in between both with so many local restaurants, drink options, coffee and locally-owned shops that are walkable,” Iverson said.

Iverson also said the lot also has space for a permanent or rotating food truck option on-site.

With summer right around the corner, thousands of University of Oregon students will celebrate their graduations with their families, the city will host the Olympic Trials and summer concerts and events like the Oregon Country Fair are sure to bring in travelers. The Local Motel and Shops, located in the Whiteaker Neighborhood’s wealth of food options and available experiences, hopes to welcome visitors this summer.

Building Size: Two floors with a total area of 5,665 square feet.

Owner: Jordan Iverson, of Eugene.

General Contractor: McKenzie Commercial, of Eugene.

Architectural Drawings: Rowel Brokaw Architects, Inc., of Eugene.

Sources: Owner Jordan Iverson, city of Eugene Planning and Development Department Permit Records, Lane County Property Records.

Is there something under construction that you’d like to learn more about? Contact growth and development reporter Hannarose McGuinness at 541-844-9859 or hmcguinness@registerguard.com

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: The Local Motel and Shops to open in Eugene, Oregon