The Valliscor site on Ferry Street, photographed from the street on March 10, 2025.
When last we heard of Valliscor, the City of Albany had just approved the Corvallis-based company’s plans for building a chemical manufacturing plant on the east side of Ferry Street.
That was on Feb. 3. Now comes word that the company completed purchasing the nearly 13-acre property at 2435 and 2445 Ferry St. S.W. last week.
City Manager Peter Troedsson’s weekly report to the city council on Friday contained this item:
“In October 2023, our Economic Development manager, Sophie Adams, began working with the team at Valliscor to bring this innovative company to Albany, connecting them with resources to find land, navigate regulations and processes, and qualify for incentives. This week they closed on a 12.8 acre Light Industrial (LI) zoned property on Ferry Street. Valliscor is a chemical-manufacturing company founded in 2012, whose products have impactful uses in medications that treat asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, breast cancer, and other diseases. Their range of developed technologies also have applications in the semi-conductor industry, helping to solidify Albany on the map as Oregon strives to meet state-wide semi-conductor goals. They’ll create 40 well-paying jobs at their Albany location. … We welcome them as a great addition to the community.”
The company’s processes use fluorine, a chemical element that is highly toxic. The planned factory is within sight of homes to the north and east, and its location prompted concerns from readers of previous reports on the plans.
Linn County property records available online on Monday still listed Precision Cast Parts as the owner of the Ferry Street site. Valliscor’s purchase presumably will show up in the records soon.
For a description of the company’s work, check out the Valliscor website here.
The bike took me past the plant site Monday. So far there’s no activity there, and the city’s online records show no building permit application.
If and when I hear back from someone at the company, I may be able to report when construction on the undeveloped site is expected to begin and when production at the plant is projected to start. (hh)
“In October 2023, our Economic Development manager, Sophie Adams, began working with the team at Valliscor to bring this innovative company to Albany, connecting them with resources to find land, navigate regulations and processes, and qualify for incentives….”
Our tax money used against the wishes of the people. Nothing new to see here.
“Our tax money used against the wishes of the people” … really? The majority, or just the few that squawk the loudest? The squeaky wheel doesn’t always represent “the peoples” wishes. See the recent presidential election for example.
WOW! Delusion on 2 levels from somebody named Mac who obviously doesn’t have the guts to use her real name.
The area has long been zoned for this kind of light industrial company, the people decided long ago what sorts of businesses could build here. I live literally behind where it will be built and I remember VERY clearly back when my property and surrounding properties were rezoned to allow higher density something i am not against). You know what one of the councilors said about that? That she was ok with the rezoning because it would create a good buffer between light industrial and single family homes. Albany voted for that trash. The will of the people can be just as disgusting so please hush.
I guess they needed to be bribed to build here…
As you mentioned the concerns from readers and residents, has anything been done to address these concerns? Is the concerns being ignored by the city, county, state and company and the are just forging ahead without any regard for the people that will live across the street from a toxic chemical plant?
Many neighbors do not to have a facility near them that uses toxic chemicals
They have asked that the company not to be allowed to built at this location
It would be interesting to know how many of the neighbors sent in letters/emails concerning this.
Our comments on the application “must relate to the approval standards listed below”. This was difficult, as they fall under the criteria and knowing our letter probably wasn’t going to make a difference (as they had already made the decision by helping Valliscor in the first place), but felt we needed to have our voices “heard”.
Our objection is not to the nice buildings and lovely landscaping to come. It is the chemicals, specifically the fluorine, being used and STORED on the property.
I suppose to prevent this from happening again, we would need to change the criteria for Light Industrial, mainly admitting that hazardous chemicals are not suited for LI and should fall in the HI only.
I’m willing to try working on a change in that area, but am not knowledgeable on how to go about it.
Thank you, Mr. Hering, for spreading awareness on this and for the follow-up. I’m sure we will see more from you on this, and if I see you out there on your next visit, I will be sure to say hello.
Are all of these people commenting forgetting Albany already has a Superfund site, and ATI/ wah chang. And the Westcoast mainline bringing millions of gallons of chemicals through our town on rail? Albany is an industrial town with plenty of pollution already, a little more can’t hurt?
Superfund site is in Millersburg