urban renewal

Albany’s CARA will check out Independence

Written April 2nd, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 15 responses.

On April 20 the Albany City Council has scheduled a visit down the river to Independence to tour its downtown redevelopment project, which looks like a resounding success with a centeriece of a gleaming riverside hotel.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany council, CARA, Hotel Independence, Independence, tax increment financing, urban renewal

Edgewater Village: City marks its completion

Written February 17th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 11 responses.

It took a while, but Albany city officials now have formally acknowledged the successful completion in 2020 of Edgewater Village, a development of 58 homes on the Willamette River that overcame tough challenges during the 17 years since it began.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany Revitalization Agency, CARA, Edgewater Village, George and Paula Diamond, urban renewal, Vasili Rozakis, Willamette River

Increase sought in CARA’s waterfront contract

Written January 17th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 12 responses.

Albany’s urban renewal program has been working on plans for redoing the Willamette riverfront for about three years. Now the city is getting ready to take the next step toward carrying out the plans.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany council, Albany riverfront, CARA, Dave Clark Path, Monteith Riverpark, urban renewal, Walker/Macy, Water Avenue, Willamette River

City approves plan for riverfront lot

Written January 2nd, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 9 responses.

Albany has approved a site plan for redoing a Water Avenue parking lot in order to make it fit in with the planned riverfront redevelopment. The estimated cost is $182,000.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany riverfront, CARA, Ellsworth Street, Lyon Street, parking lot, riverfront redevelopment, urban renewal, Willamette River

A new plan to save the St. Francis and then some

Written October 21st, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 10 responses.

Scott Lepman, the Albany real estate investor and developer who has tackled several big restoration projects, has come up with an even bigger one. His organization will save the former St. Francis Hotel downtown and also restore the former city hall building if the urban renewal district, CARA, will help him lower the financial risk.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: CARA, historic hotels, old buidlings, old city hall., Scott Lepman, St. Francis, urban renewal

CARA faces requests for more projects

Written October 15th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 11 responses.

Albany’s urban renewal board faces this question: Whether to reopen its general program of loans and grants for remodeling and other projects, which it had closed down in favor of just three big items.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany CARA, Bikman Building, Central Albany Revitalization Area, urban renewal

Lift your eyes to the tangled web overhead

Written October 12th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 5 responses.

We rarely lift our eyes to notice what’s overhead. Try it sometimes, and you might be amazed that the bewildering arrangements of electrical and communications lines actually still seem to do the job.

Posted in: Commentary
Tags: Albany alleys, CARA, overhead utilities, overhead wires, underground utilities, urban renewal