The Federal Building (former post office and then city hall) in downtown Albany on July 18, 2026.
You would not think that changing an outside railing or building a doorway in a building would require a public hearing. But this is Albany, Oregon.
The former city hall at 240 Second Ave. SW, built as a post office circa 1914, is being remodeled as apartments. The owner, Scott Lepman’s Glorietta Bay LLC, wants to replace the exterior handrails on the building, which he has named the Federal Building.
A few blocks away, new owner Derek Whiteside plans to restore the front entry at 426 First Ave. SW. This is half of the former Bike ‘N Hike bicycle shop, which had its front door in the other half of the building, at 424 First.
According to the Linn County tax office, Whiteside bought the property in April for $475,800.
Albany’s inventory of historic properties identifies the building as the Dreamland Theater, built around 1909.
(Newspaper stories at the time mention the Dreamland as a place for vaudeville and motion picture shows. But it operated for only a few years. A story in 1914 reports a lawsuit by the building’s owner for back rent. The suit said no picture shows had taken place since January 1914.)
Both the Federal Building and the former bike store are considered historic structures, and “exterior alterations” require city approval. Removing an old handrail and installing a new one evidently counts as an exterior alteration. So does putting in a new door.
The Albany Landmarks Commission scheduled public hearings on both applications for Aug. 5, 2026. The commission meeting starts at 6 p.m. that day in the council chambers at City Hall. (hh)
Like the Federal Building on Second, this former Bike ‘N Hike store on First is the subject of a public hearing before the Albany Landmarks Commission. The owner wants to put an entry door under the second arch from the right.
Joke #39
Are the windows on the second floor original? They look nothing like the ones on the first floor.
Yes it should be a joke.Your right Hasso why does the city need to waste tax dollars on a handrail meeting is classic for Albany. But be of good cheer it not just Albany that does this. This why other areas of Albany do not want the goverment controlled HOA (Historical District) in there neighborhoods.
While I can appreciate wanting to maintain a certain historical appearance of a building, I wonder if anyone could look at a handrail in situ and tell if it’s the original “historic” one, a replica, or something non-original. As concernedcitizen mentions, it seems a lot of concern over a handrail.