By Susan Gager

ALBANY, Ore. -- Downtown Albany is no stranger to the bad effects of the economy. But one couple saw potential in an old building to restore local commerce.

The building might not have looked like an inviting space for businesses, but co-owner Marc Manley saw its potential and has fought tooth and nail to fix it. "It had been vacant for 50 years, had peeling plaster, water leaks, lots of damage, stuff lying all over the place," he said.

"We came up those stairs though, and we just saw the bones of this building and the beautiful 14 1/2 foot ceilings," said his wife Anni.

When the the economy took a nose-dive, they had to take a hard look at whether the project was worth it. They pushed aside economic worries in the hopes tenants would see what they saw in it.

"It's a very well-known building. Many people in the area have memories of it, have a fondness for it, and we wanted to make it look just like it did back in the day," said Marc. "We're also optimistic, and we figured ideally hopefully as we get spaces done with the improvement of the economy, it will make businesses want to move in."

The couple says the building is now ready for tenants to move in. Like the building itself, they hope to restore downtown into a bustling hub.