downtown Albany

A sign appears of downtown building’s past

Written July 14th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 10 responses.

A century-old sign of Albany history saw the light of day again when workers took the stucco off the brick wall of the old King Griff Building on the northeast corner of Third Avenue and Lyon Street.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: CHANCE, downtown Albany, Historic buildings, historic restoration, King Griff Building, Pyburn & Sons Inc., Third and Lyon

A vehicle-charging station for downtown

Written July 5th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 6 responses.

If you have an electric car, pretty soon you’ll be able to park it in downtown Albany and charge the batteries — unless somebody else has had the same idea and got there first. In which case you’d have to wait your turn.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany Revitalization Agency, CARA, charging stations, downtown Albany, electric vehicles, J.C. Penney lot, Pacific Power

Why old OER railway depot is locked up

Written April 16th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 8 responses.

A reader wondered why the historic Oregon Electric Railway station in downtown Albany was closed. Is it unsafe or condemned, she wanted to know. No, I checked and it’s nothing like that.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Ciddici's, downtown Albany, eviction court order, historic O&E depot

The St. Francis project: Taking a look

Written February 26th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 11 responses.

From the fourth floor of the old St. Francis Hotel, you have a fine view of downtown Albany and beyond. You could see even farther from the roof.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: CARA, downtown Albany, downtown revival, Flinn Block, Historic buildings, historic hotels, Marc Manley, St. Francis, urban renewal

On Second Avenue, nine trees will fall

Written February 22nd, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 3 responses.

A block of Second Avenue in downtown Albany will look kind of bare pretty soon. Nine street trees there have become too big, and the city is cutting them down.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany street trees, Albany urban forestry, downtown Albany, old Sears building, Second Avenue trees

CARA on Wells Fargo project: Keep going

Written February 17th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 24 responses.

No surprise here: A proposal to redevelop the former Wells Fargo branch downtown will need financial help from CARA, the Albany urban renewal program. And the CARA board appears ready to give it, though no specific dollar amount has yet been asked.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany urban renewal, CARA, downtown Albany, Wells Fargo

History revived: A cow’s head on Second Ave.

Written February 2nd, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 11 responses.

That’s a fine-looking head of cattle, and one of these days it will overlook Second Avenue in downtown Albany the way its predecessor did a century ago.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany Carousel, CARA, downtown Albany, Novak's, steer's head