The southeast corner of Water Avenue and Hill Street, where this old warehouse is to be demolished.
For many years there has been a warehouse or garage at the southeast corner of Hill Street and Water Avenue in Albany. Now a contractor plans to tear it down and replace it with buildings where people will live.
Joel James Dahl, a principal in family-owned Dahled Up Construction, told me this week he had bought the property at 135 and 139 Hill St. N.E.
Currently he is busy a few blocks away, at 615 Main S.E., where he is completely rebuilding and enlarging a house that had been “a huge eyesore.”
At Hill and Water, Dahl plans to demolish the one-story structure there starting in November. Then his plan is to build four three-bedroom townhouses on the lot.
County records say the existing structure is a commercial warehouse built in 1940. But as late as 1948, the city directory for that year does not show anything with the current address.
In 1977, Albany Radiator operated at 139 N. Hill and advertised in the newspaper. In September that year the company would flush your radiator for $19.95. Any other month the price would be 10 dollars more.
The next mention of the address in the Democrat-Herald came in April 1986. A local club dedicated to preserving Chevys from 1955, ’56 and ’57 was holding an open house at the “Chevrolet Warehouse, 139 Hill St. N.E.” They promised that 20 Chevys of those model years would be on display. (I didn’t go but now wish I had. Those were beautiful cars.)
Then, six years ago, Albany contractor Calvin Bontrager had an idea for the warehouse, which he was leasing for his business and intended to buy. In September 2017 he told the central Albany urban renewal advisory board he would like to turn the place into an Albany version of Seattle’s Pike Place Market.
Customer parking would be a challenge for such an enterprise, and a big city-owned parcel across Water Avenue would have solved that problem. But nothing more was heard of the idea.
The warehouse is across Hill Street from the Calapooia brewery and restaurant. Residents of the future townhouses won’t have far to go for a meal or a pint. (hh)
From across the street Friday, the view of 135 and 139 Hill St., where townhouses are being planned.
And a pair of railroad crossing arms with clanging bells across the street. Nice touch.
I’m sure there will be complaints by the new tenants. You just know how some people are these days.
I’m almost certain this was a plumbing shop owned by Ben Gardner who my Dad, Boyd Bewley worked for after becoming a journeyman plumber himself.
Guessing mid/late 60’s?
I live a block away. Trains use that track twice a day, once around 10:30 pm and then around 11:15 pm. I don’t hear it unless I am awake, and that is pretty much how it is for most of the nearby residents. This is a made up problem, not a real one. All Dahl’d up has done some nice work around town and I wish him the best on this project. I hope his designs blend in well with the 100 year old neighborhood.
Joel Dahl has done construction work on our home a few times. The last time was
this spring when his crew remodeled our bathrooms. When we says he will be
at our home at a certain day and time. He is there. The quality of work he does is
excellent. I would trust him with any housing project.