Albany Commission OKs $400,000 purchase of Chamber building

ALBANY – While the city of Albany has no firm plans for what to do with the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce building once the planned purchase goes through, the price for the 100-plus-year-old structure was too good to pass up.

The location, directly behind the Albany-Dougherty Government Center in downtown, is also a plus.

Last week the Albany City Commission gave approval for City Manager Terrell Jacobs to  acquire the building, which was completed in 1917, at the price of $400,000.

“(That’s) $57 a square foot,” Commissioner Chad Warbington said during a telephone interview. “We got it for a great price. You could never build or renovate anything for that price.”

There are several options for how to use the space at the building, Jacobs told The Albany Herald. 

At one time, the city had considered purchasing the building for use for Albany Municipal Court proceedings. Last week an architect drafting a master plan for the Dougherty County Judicial Building said that his plans currently are to move the city court, which was moved out in 2025, back into the county’s courthouse building.

“The thought process at this juncture is for additional office space for use of our staff and a training facility, classrooms, for staff as well,” Jacobs said. “I can’t specify which departments at this juncture. We would have to decide which departments need more space.”

There are also some employees being housed at the city’s facility on Lily Pond Road, who could be moved into the city.

The current chamber building was constructed originally as the home for the City National Bank and later was occupied by the First State Bank.

Interim Chamber President and CEO Matt Reed announced the organization’s plans to move into office space at the St. Nicholas Hotel a short distance away at 204 N. Washington St. during the Chamber’s annual dinner in April. He said he expects the chamber to announce the timing of the move within the next week or two.

Strive to Thrive, which had office space in the chamber building, is moving out, leaving a considerable amount of the 7,000 square feet of space unused.

“It’s just a (big) space that was going to take a considerable investment,” Reed said. “It’s a great building that really doesn’t meet our needs anymore. At that price, they felt like they got a good deal. I’m excited they’re going to be stewards of that building.”