Albany’s urban renewal agency continues to be shy about naming the parties that offered to acquire the former Wells Fargo branch in the heart of downtown. But it plans to decide on selling the building to one of them the next time the CARA advisory board meets, which is June 19.
Last October, the Albany City Council authorized the city staff to negotiate to buy the former Wells Fargo Bank branch at First Avenue and Broadalbin Street. On Friday, the city closed on the purchase for $1.5 million.
Albany’s urban renewal agency will try to buy a downtown property. They don’t want the public to know which one, but it sounds like the building and parking lot of the former Wells Fargo branch on First Avenue.
One downtown Albany bank stands empty while another is setting up a mobile unit to use as a temporary branch.
Rumors that Wells Fargo was about to close its downtown Albany branch had been circulating for weeks before the bank confirmed them Monday. The downtown urban renewal board will hold a closed-to-the-public meeting Wednesday to consider real estate transactions, and the idea of buying the building for its parking may well come up.
Can the Wells Fargo project be saved?
The outlook for the redevelopment of the city-owned former Wells Fargo branch downtown looks uncertain now, but the city council has given the would-be developer three more months to see if the project is financially feasible.
Tags: CARA, Gerding, Wells Fargo