The Albany Revitalization Agency finished allocating its $545,000 CARA grant pool, then voted 5-2 to give the former Wells Fargo development path more time.
Source review completed May 28, 2026
The Albany Revitalization Agency finished allocating its Central Albany Revitalization Area grant money Wednesday, May 27, approving the last $283,060 in awards from a $545,000 urban-renewal grant pool.
The decision closed out a competitive round that drew 13 applications, 12 of them complete, with requests totaling $1,466,216.21. Staff told the agency all 12 complete projects met CARA goals, urban-renewal spending requirements, and at least one activity in the CARA plan. The agency's task was not eligibility, but prioritization: which projects should receive money when requests were nearly three times the available funds.
The agency had already awarded $261,940 on April 22 to the Oregon Electric Railway Building at 133 5th Avenue SE, associated with Sybaris. At the May 27 meeting, members clarified that the partial award was not limited only to the patio work discussed during the earlier debate. Staff said eligible future work listed in the original application could be addressed in the contract, while work already completed after the April meeting would not be reimbursable.
With $283,060 remaining, members moved through a short list of projects that several said best fit the remaining dollars. Albany Civic Theater received $42,000 for entry improvements at 111 W. First Avenue. Deluxe Brewing received $85,900 for restroom and window work at 635 NE Water Avenue. Calapooia Brewery received $45,908 for window replacement at 140 NE Hill Street. Cumberland Community Events Center received $109,100 for work connected to bringing the historic church building at 1400 Santiam Road SE closer to occupancy.
After those votes, $152 remained. Member Carolyn McLeod moved to award that balance to Sybaris, and the agency approved it, bringing the total CARA allocation to exactly $545,000. The Sybaris-related award total is now $262,092.
The public comment period focused heavily on Cumberland and Deluxe Brewing. Cumberland supporters described the relocated historic church as a future East Albany community gathering place and said the nonprofit has already invested substantially in the property. Another speaker, appearing for Cumberland, urged support for Deluxe Brewing as a family-friendly gathering place and neighborhood anchor on Water Avenue. Jim and Corina Abbott also spoke in support of their application for the 1875 John Briggs Building at 333 W. First Avenue, describing fire-safety, sprinkler, apartment, and historic facade needs, but that project was not funded in the final allocation.
Members also briefly discussed other unfunded projects, including the small sewer-line request for the Peterson Building/Murphy Seed Store at 343 First Avenue and the Grove Church/Venetian Theater request at 241 W. First Avenue. No additional motions were approved for those projects once the remaining pool was committed.
The grant program fits the City's Healthy Economy strategy. The staff memo says the CARA grant program supports the strategic-plan goal of creating a readily identifiable downtown core that is unique and vibrant, with entertainment, housing, specialty shops, offices, and other commercial uses. The broader strategic plan also calls for completing remaining CARA obligations and highlighting the program's accomplishments as the district moves toward closeout.
The second major decision involved 300 W. First Avenue, the former Wells Fargo property. The ARA is party to an option agreement whose holder pays $3,500 per month for the exclusive right to evaluate feasibility, design, land use, and permitting before the option expires in November 2026. Under the prior path, a development agreement was due by the end of May 2026, and the project completion date was December 2028.
Economic Development Manager Sophie Adams told the agency that the option holder had identified design elements that added cost and timeline uncertainty. The project team described potential utility-clearance issues involving Pacific Power lines, alley improvements, and subsurface conditions on portions of the site. A team member said Pacific Power was preparing a cost estimate and that undergrounding utility lines could exceed $300,000, though no final figure was presented.
The option holder asked the agency to consider a partnership in which the city would pay for materials for alley improvements while the project team supplied labor and equipment. Members asked for clearer estimates and more communication. No public vote approved city cost-sharing for alley work, utility undergrounding, or other site improvements at the meeting.
After an executive session limited to real-property transaction discussion, the agency returned to open session and voted 5-2 to extend the development-agreement milestone to November 30, 2026. The motion also asked the option holder to provide a revised project completion timeline within 30 days and to update staff when Pacific Power responds. Members Michael Thomson and Carolyn McLeod voted no; Chair Steph Newton and Members Chris Van Drimmelen, Ramycia McGhee, Marilyn Smith, and Alex Johnson voted yes.
The records to watch next are the grant contracts, the approved May 27 ARA minutes, the updated 300 W. First Avenue timeline, any Pacific Power estimate, and any future public action if the city is asked to share costs for utility or alley work.
This article is supported by public records, source review, and neighbor-funded records work. Source gaps stay visible until the next record closes them.