Employers invited to Live Downtown Interest Session

Downtown employers are invited to join Downtown On the Go on Thursday, March 29, 2012 from 4 – 6 p.m. to learn about their Live Downtown program, a free benefit for employers.

THE LIVE DOWNTOWN PROGRAM:

* Improves your employees’ commutes
* Aids in employee recruitment and retention
* May reduce your parking costs

Downtown On the Go has partnered with HomeStreet Bank, O’Connor and Associates, American Financial Solutions and other downtown businesses to offer discounts on home ownership and rentals for your employees. They can save up to $6,000* on a new home or up to $2,400 a year on a rental property. And it costs you nothing.
* Depending on loan amount.

DETAILS:
Thursday, March 29, 2012
4–6pm, short presentation at 5pm
BLRB Architects | 1250 Pacific Ave, Suite 700
Take the bus, the Tacoma Link or enter garage via Commerce St. and we’ll validate your parking.
Light refreshments will be provided.

PLEASE RSVP to dotg@tacomachamber.org

Chamber Luncheon Featuring: Downtown Tacoma, Sponsored by the Port of Tacoma

On March 9th, the City Center Luncheon was reborn as the Chamber Luncheon with 80 people in attendance.  This change was brought about by the increasing demand for updates and information on what is happening in our community, including the greater Tacoma area.  For more on this change, please see the previous blog post here.

Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland
After introductions from Tom Pierson, President and CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, and Don Johnson, Port Commissioner for event sponsor the Port of Tacoma, the jam packed program brought Mayor Strickland to the podium.  She provided an update on coming changes in 2012 for the City of Tacoma.  In addition to the budget challenges faced by the City the Mayor highlighted the need to encourage innovative entreprenuers. 

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Pacific Avenue Reopened

Commuters can now get from one end of downtown Tacoma to the other on Pacific Avenue, thanks to an earlier than expected opening of our main street in association with Sound Transit's D-to-M Street Project. Vehicles, transit, bicycles and pedestrians all have access to the roadway, including safe crosswalks and new sidewalks.

Beginning Tuesday, March 20, 2012, A Street will be closed between 25th and 26th streets and will not reopen. This section will be re-graded and re-paved to serve as a pedestrian and bicycle underpass.

According to Sound Transit, work still to be completed includes:
- Solidifying the rail bed and lay track from D to M Streets
- Completing the Pacific Avenue rail bridge
- Installing new crossing gates, signals, and other safety equipment along the rail line
- Building a new pedestrian underpass on A Street
- Re-paving South Tacoma Way and make improvements to South C Street
- Providing landscaping to the area

The bridge will also undergo a paint job before it's officially done. The final phase of construction for the project is anticipated to be completed, with trains running to South Tacoma and Lakewood, by fourth quarter 2012.


Local members of the Sound Transit Board prepare to tour the project after the opening of Pacific Ave.


Crews are still doing work on South Tacoma Way but Pacific Avenue is open to all traffic.