The future “C&C Bat Factory” under construction, as seen Wednesday from the corner of Santiam Road and Main.
At the corner of Santiam Road and Main Street, Baldwin General Contracting is remodeling an old warehouse and getting it ready for a new Albany business, an indoor space where baseball and softball players can train.
This corner is the former site of the historic Cumberland Church. It is on one of my bike-riding routes, and from time to time I’ve reported on the corner’s transformation undertaken by Yohn Baldwin, president of the construction company headquartered next door on Santiam Road.
The former church site itself has been landscaped and now includes a large stormwater swale as required by the city, along with a parking lot to serve the building behind it. The building is a former warehouse used by the Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District.
Baldwin has been reconstructing the exterior and is making the inside ready for the baseball business. A drawing I found online, prepared by Varitone Architecture of Albany, shows an array of five batting cages and related facilities including space designated as a retail area.
According to the online information, the building is the future home of the “C&C Bat Factory.”
Principals in the venture are Chris Reese, CEO of the Mid-Willamettte YMCA in Albany, and Carlos Carapinha, service manager at Roberson Ford and president of a youth softball organization named Oregon Titans.
Both share a passion for baseball. They figure the batting cages should give Albany players a chance to perfect their skills without having to go out of town.
I hope to learn more as the building is closer to being finished and a I get a look inside. (hh)
As a person transitioning to progressivism, my old reflex was: cool.
But I’m more enlightened, and now consider myself more elite, so my elevated progressive response is:
This is another example of a capitalistic motivation to impose exploitation and inequality.
Profits drive capitalists, so progressives on the city council should demand that these profits do not come at the expense of social well-being.
And given the use of these improved buildings (I hated the green monstrosities they were) will now not benefit the common good of education, the city (and county assessor) must come down hard on imposing the common good.
The improvements clearly show an ability to pay increased property taxes…so tax these new buildings and their use aggressively.
It’s the progressive way.
Wish I could be Elite…….. must be amazing!
There is a new mixed breed of progressive capitalists that have figured out you can make a lot of money not doing any work other than milking a progressive cause. The working class are here just to fund their ability to talk people out of their money.
Darn, was hoping for something more useful to the folks of Albany. Oh well, the building looks better at least.