Pacific Construction Coffee Talk

The new construction on Pacific Avenue has been quite the buzz these past few weeks. To view more from us on this issue click here.Today, the City of Tacoma held their first “coffee talk”. The event was located at Vinum Coffee and Wine Lounge and discussed the Pacific Avenue construction project. “coffee talks” are scheduled to occur monthly as the construction project continues.

The coffee talk had over twenty people in attendance including: Steve Rich, the project manager. The talk gave downtown business owners in attendance the ability to voice their concerns and share suggestions. One major topic was parking. It was mentioned that there will be more parking spaces coming soon, and free 2 hour parking at the Park Plaza North Garage with validation from participating businesses.

 Tucci & Sons are following a tight schedule, doing 16 months of work in 10 months.

Actions may be made to help get construction ahead of schedule where it is possible. The project is scheduled to end before the 2013 holiday season; their plans include a three week buffer period, which allows room for unexpected delays. For questions, concerns, or more information please visit: www.cityoftacoma.org/pacave.

Stay tuned for more updates and information on the next coffee talk.

Pacific Construction Updates & Feedback

As we discussed last week, Pacific Avenue is now under construction.  To start the project, the contractor began opening up the east side of Pacific Avenue between S. 9th and S. 11th.  This has had only a minor impact on circulation as they have gone out of their way to provide continuous access for pedestrians and vehicles.

As you watch the construction move forward, experience the detours, and make your way to lunch, the City wants to get your feedback on how the first two weeks of construction went.  They are particularly interested in any improvements that should be made now - rather than waiting months to see if things are moving smoothly.

To hear about what activities will be occuring in the next month and to share your thoughts on anything that could be improved, please stop by Vinum Coffe & Wine Lounge (1001 Pacific Avenue; 98402) next Wednesday, 1/16 anytime from 9-10AM.

Pacific Avenue Reconstruction Starting

The signs are going up, the lightpoles are coming down.  The ground is opening, but the street are not closing.

On Wednesday, January 2nd, contstruction begins on Pacific Avenue.  The first phase of construction will be focused on the stretch from 9th to 13th and is expected to run until April.

To help keep everyone up to speed, the City has prepared a detailed detour plan that we've uploaded here.  One thing you'll note is that there are no actual street closures.  You can still get to your favorite office/shop/restaurant.  This does not mean to expect a little more dust and a few more people in reflective gear - because both will be out in full force.

In addition to the detour plans, there is a project specific page on the City's site detailing the project with updates and information: www.cityoftacoma.org/pacave

We will continue to post more information as the project progresses as well.

Pacific Avenue Open House

We've been talking about the reconstruction of Pacific Avenue for a while now.  This Thursday is the last chance to hear details about the first phase of construction (which used to be the second phase) before it starts.

The open house will detail detours, alternate routes, schedules, and construction plans.  The work will include a vaulted walk, sidewalk reconstruction, additional landscaping, historic street lights and raingardens to filter stormwater.  For a full size PDF of the construction detours and alternate routes, of which the image above is a snapshot, please click here. 

For more information on the project, please visit www.cityoftacoma.org/pacave

UPDATE 2: Schuster, Parking, & Transportation Updates

Downtown Tacoma has a handful of access points along its eastside, where it abuts the water.  Now the ice storm has claimed one of them - Schuster Parkway.

With the extensive snow piled on trees, the added weight of the ice was too much for many of the trees.  Schuster Parkway is littered with broken branches and small landslide in addition to all the snow and ice.  The City has closed the street until they've had a chance to clear the debris from the three lanes its currently obstructing.

We'll let you know if/when we hear more.

UPDATE:
Schuster Parkway is expected to remain closed for most of the day.  According to the City, slides are continuing to occur as they are removing debris.

Also, for those who are downtown, there is no parking enforcement today due to the hazardous conditions and cars stranded in some areas of snow and ice.  This should be especially helpful to those residents who park on-street and have not ventured out in the last day.

Please note that a TPD officer may still cite anyone parked hazardously - blocking traffic, crosswalks, etc.  If your vehicle does become disabled, please do your best to move it out of traffic.

UPDATE 2:
The Tacoma LINK cannot stay ahead of the ongoing icing.  For this reason, Sound Transit is suspending LINK service for the rest of the day.  If you need to get to one end of downtown or the other, Pierce Transit busses are continuing to run on snow routes.