When Yohn Baldwin bought the site of the former Cumberland Church from the City of Albany last year, no one said anything about the regulatory obstacles he would face in doing something with the land.
Yohn Baldwin has filed the site plan for a proposed development on the corner of Santiam Road and Main Street in Albany. But whether the project goes ahead may depend on how much the city requires to be done on Main.
The city of Albany is hoping to sell the former site of the historic Cumberland Presbyterian Church, a property that the Public Works Department acquired in 2000 for $150,000. But as of today, the vacant lot is still for sale.
Since at least February 2014, the Albany City Council has been trying to get rid of the historic Cumberland Church it bought for $150,000 20 years ago. Now this may finally get done, but if the plan works, it’s going to cost private donors around a million dollars or more.
On Monday I had a cup of coffee and a piece of apple pie at Universal Coffee while the owner, Alex Contreras, told me about his ideas for the old church across the parking lot. And ambitious ideas they are, ideas he hopes can help bridge what sometimes looks like an Albany cultural divide.
Dressed up: The corner of Santiam and Main
Bike rides through the east end of old Albany occasionally take me past the corner of Main Street and Santiam Road, the former site of the historic Cumberland Church. Now the corner has a new look.
Tags: Cumberland site, East Albany, Main and Santiam, pocket parks, rainwater, stormwater swale, street corner, Yohn Baldwin