Here’s the southwest corner of the former U.S. Bank Community Branch in downtown Albany on Monday afternoon.
The new owners of the former U.S. Bank branch in downtown Albany are ready to start remodeling the building. Half will house their Albany pawn shop. The other half will be for lease.
U.S. Bank closed its Community Branch downtown in January 2021. In May of this year, a company owned by Adam and Beth Anundi bought the property for $625,000, about half the value listed by the county assessor.
The Anundis own Capital Pawn, which has branches in Albany, Portland, Salem, McMinnvile and Beaverton.
Their intention is to remodel the interior of the former bank and divide the space. One half will hold their Albany pawn shop, which will move from its leased quarters at 2736 Pacific Blvd. S.E.
Beth Anundi spoke with me on the phone on Monday.
The owners are ready to go ahead with the remodeling, she told me, as soon as the city issues the requisite permits. Her husband will be the general contractor.
Their pawn shop will be in the western half of the divided space, near the corner of Ellsworth Street and Second Avenue.
What kind of business will lease the other half has not been determined. The lease likely will go to someone “who loves to be in downtown Albany,” said Beth in words to that effect.
The remodeling will be confined to the interior, except that the drive-through cover on the east side may be removed.
The couple had hoped to move their Albany shop downtown in September, but this depends on permits to be issued so the remodeling can start. (hh)
Looking through the closed side door at the row of former teller’s windows.
Dear Hasso, you go ahead and be Albany’s Dickens and write about successful pawnshops.
Great a pawn shop should bring all the right elements to downtown. Wtf?
I agree! Love your closing “comment”!
Now wait just a New York minute. As I recall the County turned their nose up at the building as way too expensive to remodel for the County’s use. It would have been closer & more practical for County offices I say. BUT, they’re gonna spend $$$ to remodel an old church that’s miles from downtown?? …
As I recall, their reasoning was the lack of parking
It’s very close to 1 mile between the church & bank building. The bank building has a bit better city bus access.
One can easily imagine a time in the not-so-distant future when the beautifully restored downtown corridor will host antique malls, pawn shops, a merry-go-round and little else.
Love your comment. I think that time has already arrived. About the only establishments you didn’t list are pricey, tony restaurants and pricey, tony gift shops.
Damn, I was hoping for a Mexican restaurant
A Blacksmith shop would add a degree of quaintness.
Half will be a pawnshop and the other half will be a cannabis shop.
And if they’re both successful, there’s no problem whatsoever…
Successful in drawing the wrong crowd. The only good outcome is that the city didn’t buy it.
I’ll take private enterprise over an empty building any day of the week. :-)
Yes, we know that about you, Ray! How’s the sale of your (your meaning you and the rest of the Council) empty lot going….where the other bank building once stood? You weren’t very fond of that empty building….you used taxpayer money to tear it down. Just sayin’
We weren’t aware that you were the arbiter of such matters.
He was elected by the people of Albany.
Have you been living in a cave in the upper Amazon Basin?
Well it will nice for the downtown area to absorb and welcome some of the grittier elements of the city. People can come pawn the stuff they have stolen, then have lunch with the wheelers and dealers who run the city. They can swap stories and share a good laugh about how they acquired the funds to eat a good meal in the nice area of the city.
Love the image you paint of the city’s brass having lunch with the pawn shop customers!
Speaking of images, the pawn shop will be right across the street from the antique mall. Maybe the mall can do a window display of the writer Damon Runyon’s 1930s and 40s gangster genre…something with a big cardboard cut-out of Edward G. Robinson from a movie theater lobby of yore. Ha! Albany’s pawn shop customers won’t be dressed as spiffily as Edward G. Robinson, though.
I have a sneaking suspicion that something big is coming to downtown.
Yes, there is….it will make a big “splash” and has already consumed an “ocean-load” of taxpayers’ money that will no longer be “pad”ding the taxpayers’ pockets! Get it? Splash and pad are the key words.
I’ve been in 2 of their stores and both were very nice and well run. I’m looking forward to visit the new location and excited to see what business the other side will have too!
Wow. Are the comments here always so hateful and negative? I love Albany.
Not always but, sadly, too often.
Do you know when the building next to HomeGrown on First Street will open? Will there be an open house or tour?
The Lepman organization now is shooting for some time in September. They plan on having an open house.