It was time to revisit the historic Oregon Electric Railway depot, an Albany landmark since 1912 now being remodeled as the new home of the Sybaris bistro and restaurant.
Plans to renovate and restore the historic Albany depot of the Oregon Electric Railway cleared a regulatory hurdle last week when the city’s Landmarks Commission gave its OK.
It’s hard to imagine now what the old Oregon Electric Railway depot in Albany will be like once it has been fully restored and Sybaris Bistro has moved in. But Matt Bennett can imagine it very well, and he explained his ideas to me this week.
Now it’s official: Janel and Matt Bennett, owners of Sybaris, are buying the historic Oregon Electric Railway station in downtown Albany and plan to move their world-class restaurant there.
A downtown Albany landmark, the historic Oregon Electric Railway depot, will change hands if a pending sale goes through as intended. But there’s no word yet on how the building will be used after it is sold.
On the social media app Nextdoor, someone asked whether Ciddici’s Pizza in downtown Albany would ever reopen. I had wondered about the same thing and this week tried to find out. The short answer is: Who knows?
Yes, old brick and rail are still there
The Nov. 26 story about the remodeling of the former Oregon Electric Railway depot in Albany prompted a couple of comments about the brick paving that once covered that part of Southeast Fifth Avenue. One person wondered if the brick was still there and whether it could be restored.
Tags: Baker Street track, brick pavement, Fifth Avenue track, old rails, Oregon Electric Railway