No more swerving to keep your bike tires from catching in the rails on this part of Water Avenue on Albany’s riverfront. The spur that used to slice across the street is gone.
On a bike ride somewhere else last Sunday, I passed the section of the Heritage Mall parking lot where in June the Albany Planning Division was considering a site plan for a Chipotle Mexican Grill. The site off 14th Avenue, just east of the Red Robin, remains untouched, so what’s the status of that plan?
A team of consultants led by Walker Macy, a Portland firm, now has the approval of Albany’s urban renewal agency to gather public opinion and then make plans for redeveloping the city’s Willamette Riverfront.
Sections of six main streets have been been proposed for reconstruction if Albany voters approve a general-obligation bond issue. But expecting to ask voters for other fee or tax increases in 2020, the city council has put off for now any consideration of a street bond.
St. Francis comes up at city meeting
The former St. Francis Hotel, a downtown landmark for more than a century, was mentioned twice at last week’s meeting of the Albany Revitalization Agency. That’s the city council when it acts as the agency governing CARA, the Central Albany Revitalization Area.
Tags: Albany downtown, ARA, CARA, St. Francis