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. 



Employers invited to Live Downtown Interest Session

Downtown employers are invited to join Downtown On the Go on Thursday, March 29, 2012 from 4 – 6 p.m. to learn about their Live Downtown program, a free benefit for employers.

THE LIVE DOWNTOWN PROGRAM:

* Improves your employees’ commutes
* Aids in employee recruitment and retention
* May reduce your parking costs

Downtown On the Go has partnered with HomeStreet Bank, O’Connor and Associates, American Financial Solutions and other downtown businesses to offer discounts on home ownership and rentals for your employees. They can save up to $6,000* on a new home or up to $2,400 a year on a rental property. And it costs you nothing.
* Depending on loan amount.

DETAILS:
Thursday, March 29, 2012
4–6pm, short presentation at 5pm
BLRB Architects | 1250 Pacific Ave, Suite 700
Take the bus, the Tacoma Link or enter garage via Commerce St. and we’ll validate your parking.
Light refreshments will be provided.

PLEASE RSVP to dotg@tacomachamber.org

Chamber Luncheon Featuring: Downtown Tacoma, Sponsored by the Port of Tacoma

On March 9th, the City Center Luncheon was reborn as the Chamber Luncheon with 80 people in attendance.  This change was brought about by the increasing demand for updates and information on what is happening in our community, including the greater Tacoma area.  For more on this change, please see the previous blog post here.

Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland
After introductions from Tom Pierson, President and CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, and Don Johnson, Port Commissioner for event sponsor the Port of Tacoma, the jam packed program brought Mayor Strickland to the podium.  She provided an update on coming changes in 2012 for the City of Tacoma.  In addition to the budget challenges faced by the City the Mayor highlighted the need to encourage innovative entreprenuers. 

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