Talk about infill! That’s the idea of building on vacant lots surrounded by established uses, and the latest proposal by Albany developer Scott Lepman certainly qualifies.
In the interest of making houses more “affordable,” the Albany City Council seems inclined to lower systems development charges on small new single-family dwellings and raise them on big ones. But “affordable” is not a firm number, so whether the idea works is impossible to predict.
The new Opera House Apartments in downtown Albany have been in the works for years. Now the long-running transformation of the building at 222 First Avenue S.E. looks like it’s nearing the finish line.
Here you can watch me taking a chance on reporting that something happened before it actually happened:
Just for the heck of it, I went by the surplus lot at 370 Burkhart St. S.E. that the Albany City Council sold last year with the idea that housing might be built there. Here’s a video report:
More housing. That’s what may be in store for a vacant property the city of Albany owns along the old Oregon Electric Railway track on Water Avenue.
Builders build while task force labors on
In case you have forgotten, an Albany city committee is still struggling with how to make housing cost less. Meanwhile, builders are going ahead just like they always have — building houses they think they can sell.
Tags: Albany housing, builders, Henshaw Farm, home builders, Housing Affordability Task Force, Lennar, subdivisions