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It looks like an open-air market, except that desks, computers, telephones and filing cabinets sit where fruits and vegetables would otherwise.

James Frackowiak operates insurance offices out of the old mechanic’s garage in downtown Woodburn. The door is wide open as Frackowiak and staffers go about the business of Plan-It Financial as if they were holding a garage sale.

Frackowiak said he is doing it for love. He is in love with the Old Woodburn City Hall and the gas station next door. He bought both of them this summer and plans to fix them up for a cost ranging 鈥渟omewhere between a little and a lot.鈥�

He would rather not state an estimate until the project progresses further, he said. He acknowledged that it will be a challenge because the buildings are old and in bad shape.

鈥淚n my opinion, on a scale of 1 to 10, we’re looking at a 6 or 7 (in difficulty),鈥� he said.

The former city hall, a masonry building on the corner of First and Lincoln streets, was constructed in 1914. It has sat dormant for most of the 36 years since Woodburn’s civic center was built four blocks away on Montgomery Street.

The old building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, but little use has been made of it. A teenage garage band squatted in the jail for about a month in the 1980s. A small restaurant occupies the fire department’s old garage.

Other than that, the main building has been largely left to time and the elements. It was owned by Maximino, Romelia, Carlos and Evangelina Sanchez of Mount Angel when Frackowiak bought it, but they didn’t use it for anything but the restaurant.

鈥淭he primary goal of buying the old city hall was restoring this beautiful old building,鈥� Frackowiak said. 鈥淎s far as I’m concerned, it’s in great shape.鈥�

For all the wear and tear on the building, it withstood the Spring Break Quake of 1992 with barely a crack, even though downtown Woodburn was practically on top of the epicenter. The quake decimated the Association Building, another masonry structure, just two blocks away.

鈥淭he seismic upgrades 鈥� if any 鈥� should be minimal from what I can see,鈥� he said.

Frackowiak plans to move his offices from the gas station to the city hall. He said the gas station, on the corner of First and Grant streets, could be used for a coffeehouse. The building was featured in a 2007 Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, 鈥淭he Valley of Light.鈥�

Woodburn City Planner Jim Hendryx said he can definitely see the allure of the old buildings, especially the city hall, after walking through them.

鈥淭here are kitchen facilities upstairs,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s kind of cool.鈥�

Frackowiak added that he really likes the old jail cell in the basement and plans to keep it.

鈥淲e’re going to leave the jail cell in there because it’s a great architectural feature,鈥� he said.

鈥淗e has a very unique vision for the old jail,鈥� Hendryx added. 鈥淗e has a big bag of plans for the building in general, along the lines of a mall.鈥�

The building is uniquely zoned so it could accommodate a mixture of commercial, office and residential uses. Frackowiak said he is looking into all of the possibilities.

Frackowiak, working with DECA Inc. in Portland, said he expects to be able to move into the building in six months.

Residents are excited.

鈥淲e are rejoicing that someone has finally purchased the old city hall,鈥� said Woodburn resident Kay McEwen who works with the Heritage Woodburn Neighborhood Association.