Hotels on the Horizon

With the announcement of McMenamins winning the bid a few weeks ago for the Old City Hall building, everyone seems to be making announcements for new and upcoming hotel projects for Tacoma's future. 

Almost eight years ago, Bellevue's Silver Cloud Inn and Hotels announced that they would be developing an 180 room hotel on Point Ruston, and it has just been announced that construction is finally underway. The delay can be attributed to a slow moving recession coupled with disputes over land-use permits with the City of Ruston. Bellevue's Silver Cloud Inn and Hotels is set to open in 2018 and planned to include one restaurant, a ballroom, meeting rooms, a pool, an exercise room, and a parking garage. 

There are two other major proposals on the table for the future of Tacoma's tourist and business industry. A Chinese investment group, who is still gathering investors, is interested in creating a 24-story, 300 room high rise. It is proposed that this would be a convention hotel along with a condominium complex. The second is coming from Hollander Investments and they have their eyes on the Thea Foss Waterway. Hollander and Investments is planning to build a hotel and an office complex. The first of the buildings to go up will be a nine-story Marriott Residence Inn that will provided 104 rooms. Ground breaking dates have not been set yet, Hollander and Investments are waiting to see how the other proposed hotels do before starting construction. 

If everything goes as planned Tacoma can expect to see five new hotels, at least one more condominium complex, and an increase in office spaces and store fronts in the next few years. Tacoma truly is the City of Destiny and is planning on making a large impact on Tacoma's small business and local economy. 

ead more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article49463305.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article49463305.html#storylink=cpy

Nomination to Name George H. Wayerhaeuser, Jr. Park

The City of Tacoma's Landmarks Preservation Commission has approved a nomination on Wednesday, March 11 to name the currently unnamed waterfront park along Thea Foss Waterway after George H. Weyerhaeuser, Jr.

Tacoma City Council’s Neighborhoods and Housing Committee will further discuss the nomination during a public meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Mon., April 6, at Tacoma City Hall. A final decision to officially name the unnamed park is expected to be made by council later this year.

Between September 2014 and February 2015, the FWDA and Tacoma's Landmarks Preservation Commission received more than a dozen letters supporting the nomination from individuals and organizations such as the Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, Foss Waterway Seaport, Port of Tacoma, Dome District Development Group, and the Tacoma Waterfront Association. In the letters of support George H. Weyerhaeuser, Jr. is fondly remembered as a Tacoma civic booster and prominent member of the Weyerhaeuser family.

Three unnamed parcels on either side of the State Route 509 bridge — 1955 Dock St., 2101 Dock St., and 2119 Dock St.. Two parcels — 2101 Dock St. and 2119 Dock St. — are owned by FWDA, and one parcel — 1955 Dock St. — is owned by the City of Tacoma

Murray Morgan Bridge Closure Feb. 14

A closure to vehicle traffic on the Murray Morgan Bridge (11th Street in Tacoma) is scheduled from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14.

This closure will allow for the final stages of dredging to be conducted in the Thea Foss Waterway. During this time the lift span of the bridge will be raised to allow marine vessels to pass; however, vessels are urged to use caution while passing due to the presence of barges under the bridge.

During the closure there will be limited pedestrian access from ‘A’ Street to the elevator and stairs only, with all other pedestrian access closed until work is complete.

For more information on the Murray Morgan Bridge, visit HERE.

Marine Security Aviation Demonstration on Aug. 18

The Tacoma Fire Department, Seattle Fire Department and King County Sheriff’s Office are conducting a joint training demonstration along the Thea Foss Waterway on Aug. 18.

In conjunction with the Marine Security West 2014 Conference in Tacoma, the King County Sheriff Office’s Guardian 2 helicopter will demonstrate an Airborne Tactical Extraction Platform (AirTEP) deployment by inserting a Seattle Fire Department rescue swim team into a simulated water rescue scenario.  

A helispot landing zone will be set up at Thea’s Park (405 Dock St.) from 1 - 6 p.m. For safety purposes, Thea’s Park will be closed to the public during this time frame, and the mouth of the Thea Foss Waterway will close to public vessel traffic from approximately 4 - 4:45 p.m. during the live demonstration.

Those with questions can contact Joe Meinecke in the Tacoma Fire Department at (253) 255-3260, Kyle Moore in the Seattle Fire Department at (206) 250-1892, or Sgt. Cindi West at the King County Sheriff’s Office at (206) 250-0778.

Congratulations to the 2013 New Tacoma Award Nominees!

Each year the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber recognizes individuals, businesses and organizations making outstanding contributions to downtown Tacoma with the New Tacoma Awards.

This year the Chamber, in coordination with sponsors AmericanWest Bank and Tags Awards & Specialties, will honor nominees and recipients at the Chamber Luncheon on July 12th at the Pacific Grill Event Center at 1530 Pacific Avenue, 98402 from 11:30 to 1PM.  For more information on the program and to register, please visit the Chamber's website.

The 2013 New Tacoma Award Nominees are:

The Ghilarducci Award recognizing successful new development, renovation or beautification:

·       Foss Waterway Sea Plane Floats
·       Murray Morgan Bridge Rehabilitation

The Popham Award recognizing the individual that has done the most to build community spirit:

·       Alex Hays, AB Hayes
·       Benjii Bittle, Broadway Center for the Performing Arts
·       Patricia Lecy-Davis, Embellish Salon
·       Penny Dennewith, Lucky Penny Cafe
·       Rusty George, Rusty George Creative
·       Sue Schaeffer, Tacoma Waterfront Association

The Public Places Award recognizing the best activation of a public park, open space or right-of-way:

·       Frost Park Chalk Off
·       Spaceworks Tacoma
·       Tacoma Urban Landscaping with Love Tacoma Lane

The Schoenfeld Award recognizing exemplary performance and pizazz as a retailer or restaurateur:

·       Azarra Salon & Wine
·       Creative Forces Gifts & Sundries
·       Dorky’s Bar Arcade
·       Print NW
·       Savor Tacoma Creperie
·       The Office Bar & Grill

The Union Station Award recognizing organizations, companies or individuals that have built or sustained momentum for revitalization:

·       Downtown: On the Go!
·       Downtown Tacoma Business Improvement Area
·       Hillside Development Council
·       Tacoma Runners
·       Tacoma South Sound Sports
·       Venti Productions

Congratulations to all the nominees! For a list of prior winners, please see the Chamber's website. We look forward to seeing you on July 12th.

One Day, One Place, 57 Brewers

This Saturday will be the fourth annual Tacoma Craft Beer Festival at the 21st Street Park (which was recently nominated for a New Tacoma Award).  With sunny weather expected and 57 brewers, it should be a great time to hang out on the waterfront.

Last year, they had to stop selling tickets at 4:30PM due to the great turnout.  This year they've got 40% more brewers, but they still recommend coming early.

When: 11AM - 8PM (last call 30mins prior)
Where: 21st Street Park at 2101 Dock Street, 98402 (free shuttle from Freighthouse Square)
Cost: $30 for 10 tastes of 5.5oz and a souvenir glass

For complete details, please visit www.tacomacraftbeerfest.com

Metro Parks Provides Updates to Improvements of Public Access to the Waterfront

Downtown residents and visitors alike enjoy visiting the businesses, parks, and recreational facilities of Tacoma’s beautiful waterfront. The first meeting the of the new year for the Tacoma Waterfront Association, an organization that serves the Tacoma community in promotion and development of the waterfront as a premier visitor destination in the South Sound, welcomed a new Board President, Loren Cohen, and speakers on behalf of Metro Parks Tacoma, Scott Knox and Dick Ramsey.

The Metro Parks representatives provided a vote of confidence that the $84.3 million bond measure passed in 2005 has been put to good use in improving more than sixty projects for improvement and creation of Metro Parks’ sites in the Greater Tacoma Area, five in the downtown area, and nine of which are public access to the waterfront.

Enhancement of waterfront recreational areas includes the revitalization and construction of a park at the head of the Foss Waterway in Downtown. The park will be located on a portion of 7.5 acres of land on the east side jointly purchased by the City of Tacoma and Metropolitan Parks Tacoma. Improvements such as these, especially to major Tacoma tourist attractions will come with increased business to Tacoma and strengthen the local community.

Planning South Downtown

The City of Tacoma is planning for growth in the south end of Downtown.  To best determine what should be anticipated, they are turning to you for guidance.

The City wants to develop a plan complementing the needs of current residents, businesses and property owners with the need to accommodate 60,000 new jobs and 70,000 more people by 2030.  The south downtown area is expected to handle significant growth as up to 30 million more square feet of development could be developed.

Under this project, the City is evaluating the area bounded by South 15th Street, East D Street, I-5 and Yakima Avenue.  This includes major facilities like UW Tacoma, Foss Waterway, Tacoma Dome, and Brewery District.

For more information on the project and learn how to contribute, please stop by the Carwein Auditorium on the UW Tacoma campus from 4PM-7PM, today, December 1st or contact Chelsea Levy with the City of Tacoma at clevy@cityoftacoma.org.

Towers on the Foss Clear Another Hurdle

In a planning process that began in March 2004, the Washington State Department of Ecology recently approved an amendment to Tacoma’s Shoreline Master Plan that allows for 180 foot towers to be built on the west side of the Thea Foss, north of the Murray Morgan Bridge. The property in question is owned by SimonJohnson LLC who has proposed to build up to four mixed use towers on the site. SimonJohnson is interested in possibly providing space for residential, commercial and retail tenants in the development as well as providing for parking and recreational uses.

The approved height increase is conditioned on a number of details including; providing enlarged view/access corridors, maintaining an average distance of 100 feet between the tower portions of the development and developing 50% of the roof as usable recreation space. The amendment also reduces the height limit to 90 feet on the municipal dock site adjacent to the Murray Morgan Bridge, clarifies the design review responsibilities of the Thea Foss Waterway Development Authority, protect the view of Mt. Rainer from Fireman’s Park and clarifies the regulation overall.

City Center Lucheon features Point Ruston, Urban Waters and Tollefson Plaza

The City Center Lucheon is this Friday! RSVP today!

Events and activities are heating up in downtown Tacoma this summer.
The City Center Luncheon,
Friday, July 11th, 11:30 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. at The Tacoma Club,
will showcase ground breaking events and opportunities in downtown Tacoma.

Topics include:

Center for Urban Waters ground breaking
Presenter: Jim Parvey, City of Tacoma
The Center for Urban Waters is a 56,000-square-foot office and laboratory building to be located on the east side of the Thea Foss Waterway. The LEED certified building, which is scheduled to break ground this summer, will house the City's Environmental Services Division labs and offices, University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) research labs, and an office for the Puget Sound Partnership.

Point Ruston development plans and timeline
Presenters: Mike Cohen, MC Construction & JJ McCament, McCament and Rogers
Point Ruston is the Northwest’s newest waterfront neighborhood. Point Ruston is planned as a comprehensive community that will include nearly 1,000 new residences made up of waterfront condominiums, townhomes, and single family homes, a four-star hotel, parks and public art, miles of waterfront walkways and a host of fine restaurants, nightlife, cultural events, and shopping.

Tollefson Plaza plans and programming
Presenter: Joanne Buselmeier, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce
Tollefson Plaza will hold Friday lunchtime concerts and food vendors—just in time to enjoy lunch outdoors in the Northwest summer. More activities and plans are currently in the works.

Showcase Tacoma, a multi-disciplinary arts experience
Presenter: Phedra Redifer, Metro Parks & Amy McBride, City of Tacoma
This 3rd annual event features the exploding local and regional arts scene! Enjoy visual and performing art exhibits and demonstrations, art installations, and performance activities for people of all ages! Friday and Saturday, August 8-9 at Tollefson Plaza in the heart of downtown Tacoma.

The cost of the event is $25 for members pre-paid and $30 for non-members pre-paid; corporate tables are available. To reserve your seat contact Janice at the Chamber, 253.627-2175 or janiceh@tacomachamber.org

The City Plans to Close "A" Street!...What?

No, the City of Tacoma will not be closing all of "A" Street in downtown Tacoma. However, I have heard a number of shocked, confused and concerned comments like this in the past couple weeks. Let me set the record straight.

Misinformed rumors of the "A" Street closure began in mid-May when the City announced plans for the long awaited Prairie Line Trail improvements. The Prairie Line railroad right-of-way, owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), runs from near South Tacoma Way to the Thea Foss Waterway and bisects the University of Washington Tacoma Campus.

The City has reached a proposed “win-win” agreement with BNSF in which the railroad company will trade the City a 20-foot wide strip of property within the Prairie Line right-of-way in exchange for the closure of the railroad crossing at "A" Street and Dock Street. The acquired land will provide a non-motorized trail link between the Thea Foss, UWT and amenities in downtown Tacoma. Another exciting feature of this proposal is the opportunity for an additional pedestrian bridge linking downtown to the Thea Foss (more details on this to come).

The rail crossing is commonly closed due to flooding and BNSF contends that the curve of the tracks at this location makes the crossing particularly dangerous for vehicles and pedestrians. Furthermore, the agreement states that the "A" Street crossing will not be closed until the new "D" Street overpass project (that provides access to Dock Street) has been operational for 90 days.

A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for June 17th, 5pm at the Tacoma Municipal Building.

The Ups and Downs of City Center Development

Development in downtown Tacoma often proceeds in fits and starts, as revealed in the following announcements made this week:

• The Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) is close to reaching an agreement with the State of Washington on purchasing the Rhodes Center--in part for the income it would generate as an office building. THA would retain the Court of Appeals, Labor and Industries, the Auditor’s Office and the Department of Transportation as tenants, and the agency would act more aggressively to fill some of the vacant commercial space. The purchase would include not only the old Rhodes department store building, but also another building on Market Street and the 530-space parking garage.
• The Foss hotel project sought and won yet another delay from the Foss Waterway Development Authority;
• Prium Companies now say they need a year’s postponement to buy land for a mixed-use office and residential project near the S. 21st St. bridge;
• The Foss Harbor high-rise complex, north of the E. 11th St. bridge expects that getting the necessary approvals from the State of Washington could take another 14 months.

The BIA would welcome a new owner for the Rhodes Center. The State of Washington has opted out of paying the BIA assessment for the building.

'D' St. Overpass Nears Completion

The 'D' St. overpass project--connecting Puyallup Ave. to Dock St. over the Burlington Northern rail right-of-way via a new bridge--is beginning to take its final shape.

The support columns are in place with the bridge deck on top. Half the soil earth walls have been constructed to meet the elevation of the bridge deck and the roadway surface is beginning to be placed on the southern approach from Puyallup Ave. Streetscape improvements have occurred along Puyallup Avenue, including new curbs, utilities, asphalt, sidewalks and trees. MidMountain Contractors, Inc. is currently creating traffic barriers for the overpass in the shape of tugboats to pay homage to the Thea Foss Waterway. Three overlooks will also be constructed to include interpretive panels that describe the history, geography and cultural richness of this area.

For the remaining months of this project, the contractor will work to open the first half of the overpass, two lanes of traffic going north and south, by the end of December or January. Once that has occurred, the contractor will begin final construction of the second half of the overpass, two more lanes, leading to completion.

Once completed, the $24.5 million project will separate train and motor vehicle traffic by raising the roadway over the railroad tracks. The overpass will provide for realignment of the railroad tracks to ease the curve around the end of the Thea Foss Waterway—allowing train traffic to move at a higher speed. Vehicle traffic, which includes trucks carrying freight, no longer will need to wait for the trains that presently close off 'D' St. to traffic. The project also will create a pedestrian connection between the Dome District and the Thea Foss Waterway esplanade and parks.

What City Leaders Heard

Yesterday was a day for stakeholders to sound off on a number of issues that will drive downtown Tacoma's future development. What did members of the Tacoma City Council hear?

City Manager Eric Anderson presented his final set of recommendations regarding future parking and transit needs, including:

• Streetcars designed to share the streets with cars and bikes and buses, unlike Sound Transit's Link, which is separated from other vehicles;
• A citywide system of dedicated paths for bicycles and pedestrians;
• Pay stations levying “market rate” charges to park on the street, with prices varying based on the section of downtown and the time of day;
• More parking garages spread around the fringes of downtown rather than taking up valuable real estate in the city’s core;
• Parking revenues directed into a separate enterprise fund, rather than the city's general fund;
• Elimination of city-mandated parking requirements--or at least a cap on the number of parking spaces required.

Anderson’s report lacked specifics about funding, timing and other details. If the City Council approves of the broad outline, he recommended forming an advisory committee to figure out how to implement the ideas. It could be nine months to a year before anything final comes to the City Council for approval.

Following the transit and parking report, Anderson laid out the costs to Tacoma of cutting off the access between downtown and the Tideflats via the decaying Murray Morgan Bridge--and he made it clear that he expects the state to pay for them.

It used to take a police cruiser five minutes to get from downtown Tacoma to the Tideflats; since the emergency closure of the bridge last week, the length of that journey has increased by seven minutes and by more than three miles. The city has added one fire engine and an extra police officer to limit the bridge closure’s effect on emergency response times, but the extra units will cost the city about $190,000 a month in overtime pay and equipment costs.

Residents and property owners on both sides of a controversial proposal to raise the allowed building height along a portion of the Thea Foss Waterway testified later in the day before the City Council. The proposal would allow a tall, skinny approach dubbed a “tower/podium” building form. Approved by the Tacoma Planning Commission following a lengthy public process, the proposal would allow only one tower in a project to be 180 feet tall; additional towers would get progressively shorter by 20 feet. It also would require an average 100 feet of space between towers to preserve view corridors.

The council is scheduled to hear a first reading of a proposed ordinance November 13th and could finalize action on November 27th.

Sound Off! on Downtown Issues Today

This is a big day for advocacy with members of the Tacoma City Council as they consider several critical issues that may have critical impact upon downtown's future development:

• City Manager Eric Anderson will offer his final recommendations regarding downtown parking and transit at the weekly Study Session today, beginning at 12 Noon; that meeting is also scheduled to include an update from the police and fire departments regarding the impact of the closure of the Murray Morgan Bridge on emergency response times;
• Tonight's City Council meeting will include a public hearing regarding height limits for new construction on the Thea Foss Waterway--the first test of the Council's intent to pursue their policy decision last year to densify downtown; that portion of the meeting is set to begin at 5:30 p.m.;
• Later, City Council members will consider a resolution that could enable an option agreement and development agreement with Winthrop Hotel LLC to sell City-owned property at S. 35th St. & Pacific Ave. for the construction of mixed-income housing--the first step in disaggregating the concentrated low income housing project at 9th & Commerce;
• City Council members are also scheduled to consider a resolution that would approve a development agreement and $1.65 million loan agreement with the Gintz Group LLC to help facilitate the acquisition and renovation of the historic Luzon Building at S. 13th St. & Pacific Ave.

Murray Morgan Bridge Closed

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced today that the 94-year old Murray Morgan Bridge has been closed to all vehicular traffic. Traffic--estimated to be about 1,300 vehicles daily--headed across the Thea Foss Waterway is being routed over the nearby SR-509 bridge.

During the past few weeks, WSDOT bridge engineers have been conducting a comprehensive inspection of the bridge. They found additional structural deterioration and determined that the bridge must be closed to vehicular traffic to ensure public safety; pedestrians and bicyclists will still be allowed to use the bridge for the time being.

Opened to traffic in 1913, the bridge was built to provide access from the downtown area to the industrial area in the Tideflats. As early as 1997, the City of Tacoma and WSDOT began discussions about the future of this corridor and whether to replace, rehabilitate or remove this structure. In 2002, WSDOT reduced the bridge from four lanes to two lanes and imposed a 10-ton weight limit to prohibit all heavy vehicles, except emergency response vehicles, from crossing the bridge.

Shoreline Height Hearing Tomorrow Evening

Following extensive public review over the past few years, Tacoma City officials hope to move ahead with a proposal to modify Tacoma’s Shoreline Master Program (Tacoma Municipal Code Chapter 13.10.110) to allow an alternative development option (tower and podium building form) that would allow buildings with a maximum building height of 180 feet on three development sites (Municipal Dock site, Site 10 and Site 11) located in the southern portion of Zone 1.

A public hearing for this proposal has been set for tomorrow evening as follows:

Date: Wednesday, April 18th
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Place: City Council Chambers, 747 Market Street, First Floor

The City has been working with proponents of the changes to help mitigate concerns--mostly from property owners whose current view may be compromised if the changes are allowed. The proposed maximum height of 180 feet would only be allowed if the majority of the building’s use is residential and only under certain other conditions. Projects would also be required to maintain an average of 100 feet between the towers, which would be restricted in width. Projects would also be required to provide enlarged view/access corridors.

The proposed amendment also clarifies the responsibilities of the Thea Foss Waterway Development Authority (FWDA) for conducting design review on all public properties on the west side of the using the criteria and guidelines in the Thea Foss Waterway Design and Development Plan (Foss Plan).

Towers on the Foss

The Tacoma Planning Commission is still accepting public input on a proposal to allow Simon Johnson LLC to build four 16-story buildings on the north side of the Murray Morgan Bridge. The project proposes at least 350 apartments and condominiums, retail space, and a grocery store with four towers that would sit atop a five-story parking garage.

The proposal was adopted by the Tacoma City Council on November 16, 2004, upon a positive recommendation from the Planning Commission, but subsequent review by the Department of Ecology suggested the need for re-evaluation of the proposal to address view impacts from public and residential properties if the proposed height amendment went into effect. Homeowners in the Perkins Building have complained that the project would block their current views of the Thea Foss Waterway and Commencement Bay.

Among others, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber has weighed in with support for the change. Height limits act primarily to constrain the real estate market from achieving the "highest and best" intensity of development and from providing the living or working environment sought by prospective residential or office occupants. Likewise, by effectively restricting supply, these limits have the economic effect of raising the price of space (of course, other regulatory variables also come into play--setbacks and coverage, as well as the parking ratio).

"Height limits can either deter investment or push some of it to other locations, depending on the strength of the market and the regulatory regimes that prevail in alternative locations," advises Richard Ward, CEO of Development Strategies, Inc. "At the same time, by restricting supply and creating monopoly values for existing property owners, height restrictions enable landlords to command higher space rents, providing the location enjoys other benefits sought by the market."

Ward observes that height restrictions may have either positive or negative impacts depending on the relative strength of the local real estate market. Keeping a lid on heights may create "relatively squat buildings abutting each other and filling the city blocks, property line to property line, usually with a public alley for services, utility lines, and deliveries when there are multiple owners, lots, and buildings on the block [that] results in a strong, pedestrian friendly street front, provided the public sidewalks are generously proportioned." At the same time, as a consequence of the height ceiling and a lower overall building density than would be achieved without it, development tends to spread out (i.e., "sprawl").

The Planning Commission is currently conducting the re-evaluation and is expected to make a recommendation to the City Council later in 2006. The Commission is scheduled to continue the discussion of the issue at its October 18th and November 1st meetings and will conduct a public hearing on the issue December 6th (this timeline, however, is subject to change).