On the agenda: Salem to consider moving $1.81 million to buy downtown property

Whitney Woodworth, Salem Statesman Journal
·3 min read
Work being down at Commercial Street SE and Front Street SE in December 2021.
Work being down at Commercial Street SE and Front Street SE in December 2021.

City officials are set to consider reallocating $1.81 million to help buy a downtown property during the Salem City Council and Urban Renewal Agency meeting Monday.

The property at 295 Commercial St. SE was once slated to be a skilled nursing facility and mixed-used commercial building. But development of the former site of the Boise Cascade plant bordering Riverfront Park and Pringle Creek stalled for years before Marquis Company, the owner of several care facilities, determined the project was unfeasible and put the property back on the market.

During its April 10 meeting, Urban Renewal Agency members, which includes the City Council, voted to authorize the city manager to execute a purchase and sale agreement with Salem LTC Properties, LLC, for the vacant land at Commercial and Front Street SE for $3.5 million.

The agency will now vote on whether to reallocate $1.81 million from Future Projects, Pringle Creek Trail Improvements, and Project Coordination in the South Waterfront Urban Renewal Area to allow for the purchase of the property.

City officials said the action will transfer all project budget authority for other projects in South Waterfront URA to this opportunity purchase.

During the April 10 meeting, officials expressed excitement about transforming the long-empty swath of land at the southern edge of downtown.

"This purchase and sale agreement is really, really exciting," Mayor Chris Hoy said. "I'm so happy that that worked out and am looking forward to getting that property back on the market and making it a really productive part of downtown."

Sheri Wahrgren, the city's downtown revitalization manager, said any development opportunity at the site would include mixed-use, including affordable housing to address housing needs in the city.

Read more: Apartment construction in Salem is booming, but many more units are needed

Also on the agenda

Other agenda items include:

  • Approving the transfer of funds from the city's 2023 budget to replace the Salem Public Library's main doors. Replaced by swing doors during the renovations in 2020, the doors are now facing multiple mechanical failures and need to be replaced.

  • Authorizing the city manager to execute the intergovernmental agreement for right-of-way services with the Oregon Department of Transportation for the Pedestrian Safety Improved Crossings projects, which includes pedestrian crossings at State Street and 21st Street, Lancaster Drive and Weathers Drive, and River Road near River Road City Park. City officials said each of these intersections sees a high amount of pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Due to the distance between crossings, many unsafely cross mid-block.

  • Authorizing the city manager to execute the intergovernmental agreement for right-of-way services with the Oregon Department of Transportation for the Orchard Heights Road NW: Snowbird Drive NW to Westhaven Avenue NW Street Improvement project.

  • The first reading of Ordinance Bill No. 9-23, which revises city regulations concerning camping on public property in compliance with House Bills 3115 and 3124.

How to participate

The meeting is at 6 p.m. It will be held in person at the City Council Chambers at the Salem Civic Center at 555 Liberty St. SE and also can be watched on Comcast Cable CCTV Channel 21 or on the Salem YouTube channel in English/American Sign Language and Spanish.

Those wishing to comment in person can sign-up on the rosters at the chamber entrance before the start of the meeting.

Written public comments on agenda items can be emailed by 5 p.m. Monday to cityrecorder@cityofsalem.net. Or preregister between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday at cityofsalem.net/Pages/Public-Comment-at-Salem-City-Council-Meeting.aspx to speak during the meeting via Zoom.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twit

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem to consider moving $1.81M to buy downtown property