Ya Po Ah Terrace facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ya-Po-Ah Terrace |
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| General information | |
| Type | Apartments |
| Location | 350 Pearl Street, Eugene, Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°03′22″N 123°05′26″W / 44.05611°N 123.09056°W |
| Completed | 1968 |
| Opening | 1968 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 212 feet (65 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 18 |
Ya-Po-Ah Terrace is the tallest building in Eugene, Oregon. It stands 212 feet (about 64 meters) tall. This building is an apartment complex for senior citizens. It was built in 1968 at the base of Skinner Butte. People sometimes call it "The High Place."
What is Ya-Po-Ah Terrace?
Ya-Po-Ah Terrace is an 18-story apartment building. It has 222 apartment units inside. The building is located on the southern side of Skinner Butte. From there, you can see downtown Eugene.
Besides apartments, Ya-Po-Ah Terrace also has other useful spaces. There is a performance hall for events. It has a library for reading. You can also find a salon and convenience stores there.
Its History and Name
The name "Ya Po Ah" comes from the Kalapuya people. They were Native Americans who lived in the Willamette Valley long ago. In their language, "Ya Po Ah" means "very high place."
The Kalapuya people used this name for what we now call Skinner Butte. This was to honor Eugene Skinner, who founded Eugene City. He built his first log cabin on the western slopes of the butte. The Kalapuya advised him to build there. This helped him avoid the frequent floods from the Willamette River.
Why is Ya-Po-Ah Terrace Important?
Ya-Po-Ah Terrace was built in 1968. After it was built, many people in Eugene were concerned about its size. They worried that very tall buildings would block views of the nearby mountains. They also wanted to keep the city's unique look.
Because of this, new laws were made soon after. These laws limited how tall buildings could be in Eugene. They also limited how many stories buildings could have. These rules helped protect the beautiful views of the mountains. Even with these rules, Ya-Po-Ah Terrace remains the tallest building in Eugene.
In the summer of 2019, the building went through a big renovation project. This helped update and improve the building.
For many years, these building rules kept Eugene from growing upwards. As more people moved to the city, it spread outwards instead. This outward growth was then limited by something called an Urban growth boundary. This boundary helps control how much a city can spread out. More recently, Eugene has started to change some of these rules. This allows for more buildings to be built closer together in the city center.
