The Autzen Footbridge will now be called the Dave and Lynn Frohnmayer Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, a name selected when the City Council passed a resolution Monday. The decision was a result of a suggestion by a University community relations director. Here’s the Register-Guard’s article on the decision. Here’s the money quote from the resolution’s sponsor, Councilor Chris Pryor:
“I think this tribute is at a reasonable level,” he said.
It seems a bit sad when you have to rely on a paid flack to put the motion in front of the city council, and set it up so there’s no ugly public discussion, and at the end you get a footbridge named after you – on a split vote.
Actually, more than a bit sad. As bad as the last 10 years of Dave were, UO has had worse presidents and probably will again. This should have been done with a little more class.
There are many cracks in that bridge……and in the legacy Westmoreland Dave also. After some time passes other government crooks will suggest some eye catching signature bridge at the site by some starchitect/sharkitect. Someone said to me that the other night after the game that the bridge had all the lights out and garbage was everywhere. He thought the new name fits the bridge well. If the city were to have sold the naming rights to that bridge how much would it have brought in ?