Central Albany Revitalization Area

CARA project wins Oregon Main Street Award!

What is CARA?

The Albany City Council established the Central Albany Revitalization Area (CARA) in the summer of 2001 following a series of public forums held in the fall and winter of 2000-2001. CARA contains 986 acres or 9.7 percent of the total acreage of Albany. It includes the traditional city core area, known as Central Albany, with surrounding neighborhoods and areas of mixed commercial and industrial uses to the south and east.

The CARA Plan is aimed at alleviating blighting conditions in the area. New development is expected to occur primarily as infill with commercial and light industrial uses on small lots, and limited residential uses through redevelopment of existing residential areas.

Carrying out the CARA plan will require tax increment revenue. Tax increment financing may affect the property tax revenues and bond tax rates of other taxing bodies, but the effort is expected to be good for Albany.

Increasing economic vitality, encouraging the use of vacant and underused land and rehabilitating structures will increase property values both in CARA and the City of Albany. Spending tax increment funds is expected to produce new property values, with total value growth in the renewal area over the duration of the plan expected to be $230 million. When the project is completed, the values will be returned to the tax rolls, and the various taxing bodies that share values in Albany will receive an increase in tax collections.

Organizational Structure

The City Council serves as the Albany Revitalization Agency. They also serve, along with an appointed counterpart member on the CARA Advisory Board. Advisory Board members generally live or own property or businesses in the Central Albany area.

CARA Reports & Plans

Copies of the complete CARA Reports and Plans are available by contacting Kate Porsche, Urban Renewal Manager at 541-497-6228.

Goals & Objectives

CARA Goal: To revitalize the Central Albany Revitalization Area by implementing the Town Center Plan developed through the Central Albany Land Use & Transportation Study (CALUTS) using a citizen-driven process.

CARA Key Objectives:

• Attract new private investment to the area.
• Retain and enhance the value of existing private investment and public investment in the area.

CARA Additional Objectives:

• Provide a safe and convenient transportation network that encourages pedestrian and bicycle access to and within the town center.
• Preserve the Historic Districts, historic resources and existing housing in the area.
• Create a readily identifiable core that is unique and vibrant with a mixture of entertainment, housing, specialty shops, offices, and other commercial uses.
• Increase residential density in the area.
• Encourage the development of new forms of housing and home ownership.
• Enhance and protect the community and environmental values of waterway corridors in the area.
• Provide an enriching environment and livable neighborhoods.

Area Map

General Boundary: Willamette River on the north, Elm Street area on the west, Queen and Pacific/9th couplet area on the south, Geary Street on the east. See map: 

Liaison to City

Assistance to owners, prospective owners, and tenants. CARA provides information and connections to city resources such as a free walk-through of buildings by City Building Divisions, CARA Assistance, and City Reviews.

Design Assistance

Maching grants up to $5,000 per property are available for professional service fees up to $10,000 for interior and exterior alterations and new construction. This includes preliminary and final design, structural review and design, exterior color and awning selections, and similar services.

Small Grant

Competitive matching grants up to $5,000 (for $10,000 in project work). May be used for exterior work such as paint, awnings, facade improvement, or other visible projects. There are two rounds of Small Grants awarded per year, March and July.

Before and After Downtown CARA Projects

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