Walking down Fourth Street towards Madison Avenue in Corvallis you will notice a new sign on the corner of the original JC Penney building. The sign reads “The Plaza.” The glitzy neon-like sign outside reflects the amazing transformation that has happened inside, which is now open for business.
After you enter the front door, stop to take it all in. The open air food court now features a taste of five different choices – from craft superfoods to tacos to poke to waffles paired with excellent local coffee. Walk further into the lobby and notice the plentiful table seating. That’s when you’ll see the stairs going downstairs.
These are the original stairs from when the building opened in 1955. Both the steps and the handrailings have been refurbished but everything else is as it was since the beginning. What you find at the bottom of the stairs is opportunities to learn how to play the piano, to write poetry, to inspire art and to get an unwanted tattoo removed. There’s even a refurbished baby grand piano you can play that used to be on the street during the now defunct Da Vinci Days…