Corvallis Inn on the Outs

Earlier this month, the Corvallis Inn closed its doors permanently. It was Nendel's when my wedding reception was held there back in 1992, then became a Ramada Inn and was run straight into the ground. When Ramada could no longer pay the mortgage, the bank took over and the hotel was operated as the Corvallis Inn... but relatively unsuccessfully. I imagine that the older-style hotel just couldn't keep up with the competition from newer hotels like the Hilton Garden Inn down on campus, the upscale Salbasgeon Suites, or the Holiday Inn Express on the banks Willamette.

Now that the hotel is officially closed, the property has been sold to Regency Centers, along with the former Laidlaw school bus garage and parking lot. The existing buildings will be demolished, with plans to build a 90,000 ft² shopping center in this city block.

Good. This is exactly the type of development that benefits Corvallis. It replaces an existing eyesore (the Laidlaw building is horrible) and fills in what would otherwise be a scar-like gap in an existing commercial area. It won't endanger any species, it won't encroach on greenbelt land, it doesn't expand the Corvallis boundaries into the surrounding hills, and it won't change the overall neighborhood. Ninth Street isn't a pretty little Victorian neighborhood; it's a collection of strip malls and fast food restaurants. Nobody has to worry about increased traffic being routed through the play areas of local children.

I know many in Corvallis would prefer that we never build anything other than quaint little shops, but that isn't realistic. I'm not in favor of unchecked development and am quite happy that our city council blocks developments that don't fit with our town -- Walmart will never be built here unless they agree to build in Southtown, which doesn't fit their master plan -- but the city does have valid reasons for building the tax base. Someone has to pay for all those bike lanes! This is the perfect type of development to bring to town.