By Cathy Ingalls, Albany Regional Museum board member
Jeff Blackford (right), the executive director of CHANCE looking over uncovered items from yesteryear with Jim Jansen (left), project manager. Photo courtesy Kay Burt
Workers replacing rotten floor joists in the former Pizza King restaurant on Lyon Street have discovered several items from yesteryear, and they have no idea how they ended up in the structure’s crawl spaces.
Since a renovation began in July, they’ve found car parts, two 1920 license plates, a hatpin, a lantern, a lard can, a blue Mason jar, and two pair of shoes, among other things.
Jeff Blackford, the executive director of Communities Helping Addicts Negotiate Change Effectively, known by the shortened word CHANCE, is in charge of the renovation and restoration of the 1905-era building.
CHANCE purchased the site for $370,000.
Photo courtesy Kay Burt
Currently, CHANCE is located in a former church at 238 Third Ave. S.E., and when the remodeling work at 231 Lyon St. S.E., is completed in early spring, the non-profit will move in. The expansion allows the agency to offer more services to clients…basically the building will become a one-stop place to obtain a variety of social services help.
The church will remain open.
Once the project is finished, Blackford plans an open house so the public can learn more about CHANCE and see the massive interior and exterior changes made to the building at a cost first estimated to be about $250,000. But that amount increased by $27,000, which was the price of removing the asbestos found throughout the structure.
“We’re looking for grants and business loans to help cover that cost,” he said.
Photo courtesy Kay Burt
Jim Jansen, who is the unpaid project manager on the remodel and a member of the Albany Regional Museum Board of Directors, noted that every day workers find something unbelievable.
What appears to be Douglas fir flooring was secured with square nails. Original windows have been discovered and will be replaced. Brick walls were uncovered and will be preserved, but the skylights will be sealed off as they would be too expensive to remove, Jansen said.
Outside, the original brick façade will be replicated, and large picture windows and new awnings installed. Jansen said the structure is the oldest surviving brick building east of Lyon Street.
A big change is the main entrance on Lyon Street will be moved to Third Avenue, and the Lyon Street door will become the main exit.
Now that the inside of the building has been gutted, Matt, Bobby and Paul from Pyburn & Sons, the general contractor, are beginning to erect interior walls for a public conference room, and an education area for classes and peer support groups, plus quarters for human resources and general operations.
Rooms will be available for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings along with a place to hold dances.
Dental appointments will be handled at the location along with cooking classes and sessions to help people look for work, find a place to live and learn to function within a budget.
There also will be laundry, shower and restroom facilities.
Blackford estimates that about 80 percent of CHANCE clients are homeless.
Photo courtesy Kay Burt
According to information on file with the city of Albany, the building is located in what’s known as the Eastern Addition and was designed by an unknown architect in the 20th Century commerce style.
Early on, commercial businesses in the structure included the King Griff Grocery Store and offices for the Stayton Milling Co. and the Albany Printing Co.
By 1925, the building was referred to as Fuller’s Grocery and Nelson Bros. Meat Market. A paint store also operated from the building, and Blackford said his grandfather, Rolla Blackford, worked there.
Davenports and pianos and organs also were sold.
More recently, King Arthur’s Pizza and later Pizza King were located in the building.
To learn more about CHANCE and the renovation, call 941-791-3411.
For information about other historical buildings in Albany, contact the Albany Regional Museum at 541-967-7122 or visit at 136 Lyon St. S from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Other companies assisting with the remodel are Premier Electronics and Ron Knight Plumbing.
