A Walk in the (Pugnetti) Park

You may have wondered about that small spot of green at downtown's "100% corner" at 21st & Pacific. This "pocket" park is named for the late Don Pugnetti, editor of The News Tribune, who died in 1986 after a long bout with cancer.

Nestled against the parking lot for the WA History Museum and just across the street from the University of Washington Tacoma campus and the growing retail district anchored by The Harmon, Pugnetti Park illustrates the advice Project for Public Spaces dispensed in May. If vacant green spots just drew people like magnets, surely this park would be filled--but it's not.

Nonetheless, it's got potential; therefore it's number eight on our ongoing list of great public spaces in downtown.

Chihuly in Pacific Plaza

We're excited to share with you some details about the upcoming Chihuly in Tacoma event. You may already know that internationally reknowned glass artist Dale Chihuly will return to Tacoma (his hometown) from August 8th-13th to work with a rotation of artists creating several of his signature glass series works including Baskets, Seaforms, Venetians, Macchia, and Persians. What you may not know yet is that there will be an exciting mix of venues that weekend filling Pacific Plaza and linking the square to the UWT and museum campuses.

Expect to see an outdoor art gallery, vendor booths, a performance stage and a wine garden in Pacific Plaza proper; a beer garden, hot shop and food sampling court will be in close proximity. This is a great use for this great public space and deserves the community's fullest support--if you'd like to volunteer your time, talent or treasure, contact Amy McBride at the City of Tacoma or Phedra Redifer at Metro Parks.

The Downtown Tacoma BIA will be partnering to help promote this event, and we will continue to work on activiting Pacific Plaza the rest of the year!

Minding the Space

One of the key issues that arose out of last month's workshop with Project for Public Spaces is that of management for Pacific Plaza. Nobody is responsible--or funded--to activate the space with ongoing activities or to promote use of the space by other groups.

PPS is providing examples in its final report (to be released July 20th) of non-profit entities in other communities that may provide models for Pacific Plaza. Pioneer Courthouse Square (Portland, OR) was selected because it has a somewhat similar management entity potential. The organization is small, focused on one place, and uses a variety of events to attract people to use the space during different seasons.

BIA staff member Joanne Buselmeier is leading a committee that is looking at Pioneer Courthouse Square as a potential model and exploring its feasiblilty here. Her team will file a report here and at the event on July 20th.

Stairway to Seven

One keynote of the recent Project for Public Spaces workshop here in Tacoma was the concept called "The Power of Ten"--the idea that if downtown Tacoma had ten places that were fully "activated" then we would have that long-awaited critical mass, "a series of destinations where tourists and residents alike could become immersed in the city for days at a time". In keeping with our goal of maintaining and expanding the community process begun in the workshop, we've been identifying one place each Friday for the past six weeks, and we encourage your comments for or against each suggestion (or to suggest some place we haven't).

This week's place named (our seventh) is the UW Tacoma Grand Stair, the hillclimb through the University of Washington Tacoma campus connecting Pacific Ave. with Jefferson St. This space is one of the most highly trafficked in downtown, linking the campus library with administrative buildings, assembly halls and retail along Pacific. From time to time, various groups use the Stair to assemble for purposes approved by the university.

Release of PPS' Final Report

We've been asked to move up our preview of the final report from Project for Public Spaces before the Tacoma City Council's Economic Development Committee. That presentation is now set for next Tuesday afternoon, June 27th.

The final document will be released at a luncheon on Thursday, July 20th. At that time, we also hope to report on some efforts already getting underway to implement several of the key recommendations. We will--of course!--be previewing some of those efforts here between now and then...

If you'd like to attend the luncheon, please visit the BIA's website and follow directions there to register for the event.

Flags & Flowers Along the Way

Tacoma's Downtown BIA is making a commitment to improving the urban streetscape. This year's program includes $30,000 (about 4% of the total budget) for common area improvements related to streetscape (and excluding what we will spend this year on banners, another element of an attractive streetscape).

One expenditure is to fund hanging flower baskets throughout the city center. This week, City of Tacoma grounds crews started installing the brackets and hanging baskets all along Pacific Ave.

On a slightly different tangent, but related to common area improvements, funding has just been secured for the roughly $10,000 needed to replace and upgrade fencing along the northeast side of Fireman's Park. This improvement was recommended in the recent Community Policing Through Environmental Design (CPTED) review of the park; it will keep transients from scrambling up the hill from encampments alongside SR-704. Kudos to Hardy Hansen and Robert Luke at the City of Tacoma for pulling it all together!

Downtown Parking Forum

The Parking Advisory Committee, a group organized by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and recognized by the Tacoma City Council, invites business owners, employees, residents and others to join them for a Downtown Parking Forum:

Thursday, June 22nd
4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Club Zoe (1710 S. Market St.)
Participation is free and open to the public

Participants can come for as long or as little a period of time as they wish during this three-hour event.

Members of the Parking Advisory Committee--representing all types of businesses, downtown residents, non-profit entities and others--will be on hand to talk with attendees one-on-one. Staff representatives from the City of Tacoma, Pierce Transit and Sound Transit will also be attending. Participants may progress from station to station in order to speak with committee members, hear about new technologies, discuss options for parking permits, explore new commute alternatives, and more...

Learn more about the complex topic of downtown parking, voice your kudos or concerns, ask questions--get involved!

A summary of all comments received during this forum will be compiled and presented to members of the Tacoma City Council.