Congratulations to the 2012 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 Cascade Regional Blood Services and Absher Construction, will honor nominees and winners at the Chamber Luncheon on July 13th at the Pacific Grill Event Center.  For more information on the program and to register, please visit the Chamber's website.


The 2012 New Tacoma Award Nominees are:


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

• 21st Street Park
• LeMay - America's Car Museum
• Old Post Office

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

• Athena Hitson, The Space
• Melanie Rushforth, Tap into T-Town
• Tim Waer, Tacoma Sports Commission

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

• Frost Park Chalk Off
• Polar Plaza at Tollefson Plaza
• Temporal Terminus: Marking the Line along the Prairie Line Trail
• Words at Tollefson Plaza
• Wright Park Sprayground and Playground

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

• 1022 South
• Corina Bakery
• Stink
• The Swiss

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

• Downtown: On the Go!
• First Night Tacoma-Pierce County
• Stadium Thriftway
• Tacoma Farmer's Market (2010 Winner)
• Voices of the City Initiative

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 13th.

Downtown: On the Go Returns to the Farmer's Market

Last month our guest ZipCar brought down one of their Audi's to tempt downtown Tacomans.  After many visitors walked away with free driving time, we're looking forward to hearing more from ZipCar in the coming months.

After such a successful turnout in June, we are returning to the Farmer's Market this Thursday, July 12th.  Come by and visit us to hear about what is happening in the downtown transportation world.  We will have information on the Stadium Way construction project, our upcoming Walk Poetic event on August 1st, and how to be a DOTG member.

We will also have more of our popular $7 bike helmets.  We've already sold ~200 so far and have had to restock our popular sizes.  You can also ask for a tour of our Park Plaza North bike cage located right across the walking bridge from the Farmer's Market.

If you are more of a walk DOTG fan, we will also have our $10 Walk Tacoma t-shirts.  Regardless of how you get around downtown, we'll have something for you.  For more on upcoming activities with Downtown: On the Go, please visit us online at www.downtownonthego.org.

New Tacoma Awards Nominations Closing

2011 New Tacoma Award Winners

Each year the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber works with the downtown community to recognize outstanding individuals, organizations and events.  This year is no different.  With the New Tacoma Awards event coming soon, July 13th, the nomination deadline is looming.  If you love what someone is doing downtown, nominate them for an award:

• Popham Award: Building community spirit
• Schoenfeld Award: Retail/Restaurant pizzazz
• Ghilarducci Award: New development or renovation
• Union Station Award: Building momentum for revitalization
• Public Places Award: Activation of a public space

The online nomination form can be found here.

Registration for the event is here.

Last year's winners in the image at the top are (left to right):

Union Station: Theater District Association; received by Rick Jones (back)

Schoenfeld: Harmon Hub, received by Carole Holder

Ghilarducci: Joy Building @ UWT; received by Milt Tremblay & Mike Wark

Popham: Tammy Blount with TRCVB

Public Places: Spaceworks; received by Amy McBride, Rebecca Solverson, & Ben Ferguson

Prairie Line Trail Extension

Recently, the City of Tacoma hired a consultant to look at options on a very short segment of the Prairie Line Trail: South 21st Street.  While the crossing iteself is less than 100-ft, choosing a way to cross that encourages trail users to continue safely on the trail to and from UWT will be critical to making it a success.  At the same time, looking at vehicle routes, delays and back-ups it's clear 21st is used as a main route to SR-509, I-705 & I-5.  Finally, the question of cost magnatude comes up - weighing the value of dollars here versus elsewhere on the trail.

By last week the options were narrowed down to three crossing alternatives:

1. Road Diet - reducing one vehicular lane in each direction on 21st and creating a mid-traffic landing median.
2. Adding a Stop Light at C Street - routing PLT off of the rail line to the light & back again.
3. Combination of #2 & 3 - the best (or worst?) of both options: removing a lane westbound and routing users to the light.

A PDF of the presentation can be found here: http://cloud.chambermaster.com/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/1361/File/BIA/PLT_Presentation2.pdf


We'd love to hear your feedback if one of the crossings works particularly well (or poorly) for you as a PLT or S. 21st St. user.

Free Bike Cages for Bike Month

If you didn't know, DOTG manages two bike cages in downtown Tacoma.  The bike cages provide handy, safe, & dry bike parking at all hours.  In honor of bike month they are now being provided free of charge.

Okay, so the weather outside is a little questionable right now, so we may have to extend the free period into June where we're sure it'll be sunny.  This is your chance to try the cage out and see just how convenient they are.  Once the free period is over, it's only $25 for the year if it works for you.  (That's about 2 days of car parking in the same garages.)

To sign-up for the free cages, please contact Downtown On the Go at dotgo@tacomachamber.org.

For more on the bike cages and other bike parking in downtown, please visit www.downtownonthego.com/go/biking/downtown-bike-parking.

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/

Bike to Market Day with Downtown On the Go

Gear up for Bike Month by biking to Opening Day at the Tacoma Farmer’s Market on Broadway between S. 9^th and 11^th on Thursday, May 3 from 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m . 

Map Master’s will be on hand to show you safe, quick, and easy bike routes.  Downtown On the Go will be offering tours of the Park Plaza North Bike Cage and selling low cost bike helmets. 

Plus….Pierce Transit will show you how to load your bike on the PT bus bike rack so you can get back up the hill later in the afternoon.  

To see a full schedule of Bike Month events, go to www.downtownonthego.com/go/bike-month.