The former Mega Foods property at 2000 Queen Ave. S.E. on June 21, 2023. The dry grass on the right is where apartments are planned.
For years nothing much was going on at the former Mega Foods supermarket in Albany, which closed in 2017, but now the owners seem to be moving ahead with their plans to develop the site.
I happened past the property at 2000 Queen Avenue S.E. on Wednesday on my way down the Periwinkle Bikepath. The only noteworthy thing there was a car with its front end jacked up, seemingly in the process of being taken apart.
But as it happened, permits to build 42 apartments in two buildings, along with utilities, utilities and a parking lot, were filed with the Albany building division the day before, on June 20.
The city Community Development Department had approved a site plan for the apartments in February.
At about the same time in February, the owners applied for a building permit to turn the shell of the vacant former supermarket into a self-storage facility. According to the records available online, that permit remains under review.
Meanwhile, across Periwinkle Creek at 1755 Geary St. S.E., developers in April applied for permits to build the Creekside Meadows apartment complex. The site plan, approved in July 2022, called for 107 units in three buildings.
The Creekside building permits also remain under review, according to the online records.
Both these developments, totaling 149 units, are on the southeast corner of Queen Avenue and Geary Street. It’s a busy intersection, the only one in Albany equipped with red-light cameras.
When all those apartments are finished and occupied, expect traffic to increase some more. (hh)
We hoped a neighborhood grocery store would go in…like Mega Foods was. We’re disappointed because theres apartments & homes being built or already built around Albany.
My family also was hoping another family market would replace Mega Foods. The new housing is going to add to the already heavy traffic.
Amazing how much the rent is on all the new apartments in town. Definitely not low income.
Imagine the burgeoning revenue from the Red Light Camera? The City Fathers were prescient when they decided some time ago to install this device.
We need a grocery store. Albany talks about a “livable community”. We are to use public transport, bicycles, or walk to services
BUT, there is no public transport of any significance to really make a difference and grocery stores are so far away that there is no other option except to drive.
More apartments mean more cars on roads that are already at capacity.
It seems to me that our City Council should be taking infrastructure into account and then living up to their promise of developing livable communities.
Well said Carolee.
Frank Brittain, perhaps if they overbuild, the rents will come down after a year or so. More competition among housing/apts should give renters better choices. RIGHT?
Oregon has some of the lowest homeownership rates nationally, and Albany also trails. The city’s housing strategy seems focused only on producing rentals. I guess we won’t address that issue until single family homeowners realize who’s buying (and not maintaining) all the starter homes in their neighborhood.