Two buildings containing eight three-story townhouses are under construction in the 200 block of Southeast Third Avenue, the latest project by the Lepman organization to increase housing in and near Albany’s downtown.
Under the terms of the city contract, the demolition of the former Wells Fargo branch in downtown Albany had to be finished by the end of June. Laneco, the Portland-based contractor, got the job done with three weeks to spare.
Five years after it was adopted, Albany’s law on excluding “persistent” criminals from the central part of town has proved either useless or unnecessary. Either way, it is not being applied.
The Albany City Council has shown no sign of wanting to go along with a request to repeal the city’s “enhanced law enforcement area,” a law it passed three years ago to keep persistent petty criminals out of the central part of town.
The city council has asked for a report on Albany’s so-called Enhanced Law Enforcement Area, including how often it has been enforced. Another question might be: Does the public know what or where it is?
Aimlessly wandering around central Albany, as I did on New Year’s Day, you come across an interesting sight now and then. Today’s example: the storefront in the two-story brick building at 212 First Ave. S.E.
CARA nears its end: Canal ideas died
CARA, the urban renewal program that covers central Albany, reached one of its final milestones last week. This made me think not just about the accomplishments of this program, but also of the high hopes some of us had 25 years ago and how those hopes were dashed.
Tags: CARA, Central Albany, urban renewal