The site at Santiam and Bain the way it looked last July 14.
Every once in a while someone asks me about the unfinished reconstruction of the former Mexican restaurant at 2845 S.E. Santiam Highway. Now there’s something new to report.
The latest inquiry came in an email from Ajae Corbett: “I was wondering if you could find out what is ever going to happen with the old restaurant on the corner of Santiam Hwy and Bain St. … It is such an eyesore for those driving into Albany from I-5.”
I last wrote about this site last summer, and you can refresh your memory here.
Now, the latest: On Dec. 20 Erik Bjork, an architect based in Vancouver, Wash., applied for a new building permit for an addition to, and remodeling of, the building. The new restaurant is to be called Rancho la Hacienda, according to the permit application. So we can assume it’s going to feature Mexican fare.
At the same time, the Albany planning division received a modified site plan for the expansion of what used to be the San Blas restaurant. The city staff have been reviewing the application for completeness. If they deem it complete, they’ll notify neighboring owners. After another two weeks to allow for comments, the site plan will be ripe for city action. If it’s approved, the project can proceed to construction.
The property is owned by Lee Chung Ping and Lai Kuen, who also own and operate the Ping’s Garden restaurant on Ninth Avenue.
Maybe this time the permitting process will go smoothly and there will soon be a complete building — and a new business — on that corner of Santiam and Bain. (hh)
Hasso, thank you for following up on my request and for the information. We’ll hope they get something started maybe in the spring.
We live 2 blocks down Bain and it is such an awful eyesore to see it like that with no work being done for months. Something needs to be done
Thanks for the update! My husband and I were just wondering the same thing .
Oh goody… another Mexican restaurant… like we don’t have enough…
Wait a minute. Did I miss something? From HH report it looks as though two entities have made application. Does that mean, if approved, there will be TWO restaurants in the same building? Just wondering.
You seem to have misread something in that story, but I don’t know what.
They have to have permissions to remodel/expand the building, but at the same time, they have to get permission to modify the site layout for the expanded building. Two different departments, two separate applications.
I also am confused by the article. It seems that there are applications from two different owners for use of the site.
One owner, one proposed use. On behalf of the owners, an architect filed a site plan for review, and also a building permit application. What’s confusing about that?