Celebrate Spring and Downtown with the Walk Tacoma 2016 Kickoff

Following the success of the 2015 Walk Tacoma series, this year’s walking series of downtown Tacoma is scheduled to begin on National Walking Day, April 6^th, 2016 at noon on the south side of Wright Park.

Starting with a 1.7 mile historical walking tour of Tacoma’s Historic Schools, the seven-event series aims to provide an easy and active way for Tacoma residents to enjoy downtown Tacoma on foot. With events scheduled at noon and just after five p.m., the 1.5 to 2.0 mile walks provide the perfect opportunity for downtown students, workers, and residents to take a break during or after work and explore new walking routes and attractions with a guided tour.

This year’s themes for the free walking tour series include a Theatre Walk, a Cultural History Walk, a Museum Walk, a Scavenger Hunt, and more.  For a complete list of themes, times, and locations, click here.

Tacoma Ranked on the "10 Hot Real Estate Markets to Watch in 2016"

Earlier this December, Trulia, named Tacoma 10th on their “10 Hot Real Estate Markets to Watch in 2016.” Trulia regards Tacoma for our natural beauty, the wide array of outdoor activities we have to offer, and a flourishing arts and culture community. 

Another highlight in our ranking is that while we are surrounded by major employers, we have kept the city an affordable place to call home, making Tacoma an “attractive destination for young professionals and families in the Pacific Northwest.” 
Tacoma was listed alongside some amazing cities such as, Grand Rapids, Charleston, Austin, Baton Rouge, San Antonio, and Colorado Springs, just to name a few. 

With the recent announcements of the Link extensions and the luxury hotels that are going to be opening in the next few years, Tacoma will be sure to rank even higher in the years to come.  

Check out the full article here and explore some of the real estate opportunities that Tacoma has to offer. 

Closing One Chapter and Beginning Another

 Last Friday, October 3^rd, the University of Washington Tacoma said goodbye to their 25^th anniversary, said hello to their 26^th the new academic year.  The next 25 years are sure to bring bright minds and innovation to Tacoma and the South Sound area.

The newly appointed Chancellor Pagano welcomed the first year students with words of encouragement and advice. Many students in the crowd are Tacoma natives and are the first in their families to get the opportunity to go to college, making convocation an extremely special event to celebrate the students’ grand accomplishment. Last year the University was at 68% first generation with their student body population just around 4,500 students. This year is sure to increase in both size and in first generation college goers. 

The University prides itself on its Urban Serving mission, which is why Convocation runs through the Downtown area, to show incoming students not only the partnerships that the University has fostered but to show them how much their community supports them. The University is a member of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities. The University and the coalition define themselves as “a network of public, urban, research universities committed to creating an educated workforce, building strong communities and improving the health of diverse populations.”

Tacoma is so unique in the way that it was the community who brought UW Tacoma to life and the community who has supported them in so many ways.  Not many Universities get to say that. Universities and their communities usually are going in two different directions but this is not the case for Tacoma and UW Tacoma. They have grown some much together and continue to grow side by side, serving the South Sound. With the University’s next building project in their sights, they are set to grow once again with the Urban Solutions Center, promising to bring with it more partnerships and students poised to become the future of Tacoma. 

BIA Before City Council

Every year the Downtown Tacoma Business Improvement Area goes before City Council to share its plans for the next year.  This year, the BIA heads to Council tomorrow, March 24th.

Over the last year the BIA has continued to work on reducing the impact of graffiti, keeping the streets clean, partnering with organizations for beautification, and responding to calls for assistance with public security.  Last year, we also began making payments to Sound Transit to keep the Link free for all riders.

As we begin our 28th year in operation, the BIA wants to thank the community for your ongoing support.  Of course if there's anything we can do to serve you better, please don't hesitate to let us know.

BIA Renewal in Tacoma Weekly

The Tacoma Weekly noted this week that the BIA was beginning its 25th year.  As Maintenance Supervisor Jim Burgess was reflecting on its beginnings, "Downtown has changed a lot since then."

Tacoma Weekly reporter Steve Dunkelberger goes on to note that the BIA was "founded in 1988 as a way to provide litter clean up and early evening security for downtown workers who were finding themselves having to walk through rows of homeless people panhandling, drug dealers selling dime bags and otherwise empty streets."

Today, the BIA is proud to point out that most of these challenges are a thing of the past in the central business district.  This is due in large part to the vigilance of all parties, from the property owners to the City to the local agencies and businesses.

For more on the article, please visit the Tacoma Weekly at http://www.tacomaweekly.com/news/view/bia-turns-25/