Willamette neighborhood

In old neighborhood, new home takes shape

Written January 2nd, 2026 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 4 responses.

On the day after New Year’s, there was nothing sensational to see on my first bike ride of 2026 into Albany’s Willamette Neighborhood. But a building site caught my eye.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: building permit., home construction, houses, Willamette Avenue NE, Willamette neighborhood

Code violations: How the fines got so large

Written June 5th, 2025 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 12 responses.

On a dead-end section of Pine Street in Albany’s Willamette Neighborhood, a dilapidated dwelling boarded up since 2022 managed to accumulate a jaw-dropping $768,500 in city fines for code violations.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: 329 Pine, 329 Pine St. SE, Albany code compliance, code enfocement, derelict house, foreclosure sale, junk and trash, sheriff's sale, Willamette neighborhood

Behold this new RR crossing: Nice job!

Written November 5th, 2024 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 8 responses.

On this election day in 2024, everybody is going to be interested in how it went and won’t be looking here. So let me report on something slightly less significant.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News, Trains
Tags: Burkhart Street, Portland & Western, railroad, Willamette neighborhood

Making room for a manufactured home

Written December 19th, 2023 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 4 responses.

A small old house at the corner of First Avenue and Columbus Street in Albany was vacant for five years. This week it was torn down so a manufactured house can be placed on the lot.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: demolition, housing, manufactured houses, Willamette neighborhood

Linn County drops plan to buy Albany church

Written September 21st, 2023 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 6 responses.

In July the Linn County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 to buy the First Evangelical Church property in Albany’s Willamette Neighorhood. Today I learned that the county has changed its mind and the purchase is off.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: county health department, earnest money, Evangelical Church, Linn County, property sale, Willamette neighborhood

Take a look at this handy little RR crossing

Written January 13th, 2023 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 3 responses.

There’s a nice little path people can use to walk or bike across the Union Pacific mainline track at Burkhart Street. Nothing much has happened there lately, as far as I know, but I thought I would show it to you anyway.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary
Tags: Burkhart Street crossing, pedestrian crossing, Portland & Western, railroad, Salem Avenue, Union Pacific, Willamette neighborhood

On the market: Big church on First Avenue

Written March 22nd, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 2 responses.

To my eyes, the Albany Evangelical Church is a handsome and important building in the Willamette Neighborhood that should last for another century or two. So I was startled the other day when I stumbled across an online real estate ad that suggested redeveloping the site.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany Evangelical Church, church for sale, First Avenue S.E., Willamette neighborhood