The Albany Waterfront Project is complete, the end of CARA is near, and electric ratepayers in the city won’t have to bear the full cost of placing overhead power lines on Water Avenue under ground.
Bike rides take me past the west end of Water Avenue in Albany several times a week. So I see the transformation of this former industrial street into the “plaza street” envisioned by the city’s Waterfront Project.
A week ago Monday, on June 17, the construction fencing around Monteith Riverpark had disappeared, and I took that as an opportunity to make a quick tour of the reconstructed park.
If the city council goes along, Albany is about to spend $3.4 million on crossings along the Water Avenue railroad line.
For someone in a wheelchair, trying to cross the railroad track on Water Avenue to reach the Dave Clark Path is an arduous adventure if it’s possible at all.

Details set for new CARA grant program
The Central Albany Revitalization Area or CARA will end in June 2027, but not before handing out up to $545,000 in a final program of grants.
Tags: Albany City Council, CARA, grant program, urban renewal