"We already have all the monumental architecture we need"???  Setting the bar this low , regardless of your wonderful and compassionate reasons to funnel resources to the most needy, will certainly keep Eugene from ever becoming more than a rest stop on the way to Portland for most visitors.  City halls are arguably the most important and noteworthy buildings in most "normal" cities, the mere fact that we are currently in all likelihood the only city of size in America without a city hall speaks volumes to our incredibly low earning population and meager resources to struggle with issues that are non-existent elsewhere...we need to somehow fire up this economic engine and get our citizenry good paying jobs and lots of 'em...just like the Portland area you referenced has been doing for years and years.