Tacoma Development News

[alexjonlin]

Is the Commencement part of the Point Ruston development? That whole project is very exciting. I love it when they build whole new neighborhood, specifically designed to be vibrant, thriving places.

[Vashon118]

Originally Posted by alexjonlin

Is the Commencement part of the Point Ruston development?

It's not part of the development.

[hollyberra]

I agree with you! I'm excited to see the development grow and flourish. I'd like to move there! They have some pretty cool pics at www.pointruston.com

[CrazyAboutCities]

Welcome to SSC!

[JacobR]

Elks project takes big step

JOHN GILLIE; Staff writer

McMenamins: Developers, Tacoma announce pick of Bellevue builder, Seattle architectural firm


A plan that would transform the site next door to downtown Tacoma’s historic but tattered former Elks Temple into a structure including a garage and apartment building took a big step forward.

The City of Tacoma and developers Grace Pleasants and Rick Moses announced Monday that they’ve picked a Bellevue construction company and a Seattle architectural firm to design and build the garage, retail and apartment structure adjacent to the venerable lodge building near Old City Hall.

The design-build team of GLY Construction Co. of Bellevue and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects of Seattle will design the new structure and manage its construction if the Tacoma City Council ratifies the selection next month.

The GLY-ZGF team was among four contractor-architect groups that responded to the city’s request for qualifications to create the project.

“We were very pleased at the expertise and experience that the two firms will bring to this project,” said Ellie Walkowiak, project manager for the city’s Community and Economic Development Department.

Pleasants, one of the co-developers for the Elks project, said the two companies have an extensive portfolio of major projects they’ve created.

“Grace and I are beyond pleased to have such a highly qualified team working on the Elks project,” said Pleasants’ development partner Rick Moses in an e-mail. “GLY and ZGF are the best in the business, and we are confident they will deliver an outstanding product for the City of Tacoma.”

GLY has built much of Microsoft’s corporate headquarters campus and is currently building the first phase of Amazon.com’s new headquarters near Lake Union. ZGF has designed Safeco’s corporate office expansion; major university buildings at the University of Oregon, the University of Arizona and Washington State University; the Oregon Convention Center; and Portland International Airport’s expansion.

The Elks project has three major partners. The City of Tacoma will build the 280-stall garage north of the former Elks Temple. That garage will support a six-story retail and apartment structure that Pleasants and her partner, Southern California entrepreneur Moses, will build.

Oregon-based McMenamins, a hotel and entertainment company, will remodel the old temple into a hotel, restaurant, brewpub and entertainment venue.

The city-owned garage will serve the hotel, the apartments and the retail space, which Pleasants and Moses hope to lease to an upscale grocer.

The total project cost is expected to be about $42 million – $12 million for the hotel, $9 million for the garage and $21 million for the 70-unit apartment structure. The GLY-ZGF group is expected to design and build the apartment-retail complex that will sit atop the garage. McMenamins has selected Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects of Portland to design the hotel and entertainment center.

If the council approves the contract, said Walkowiak, design work will begin with a groundbreaking for the new structure set for November. Construction contracts for the structure will be bid this summer.

Before the groundbreaking can happen, Moses and Pleasants must secure financing for their portion of the project. Pleasants said the two are making good progress in securing financing and a grocery store tenant. Two grocery chains are considering the Broadway level as the site for a 25,000-square-foot store, she said.

Moses said the two are looking for a federal Housing and Urban Development loan guarantee.

If the new project breaks ground in November and the McMenamins portion of the project begins somewhat later, both should be ready to open their doors in 2012, Pleasants said.

[USAPatriot]

At least it is a step forward.

[JacobR]

Streetcar Initiative Approved By City Attorney

The City Clerk will assign an initiative number and signature gathering will be able to begin 5 days after the Clerk’s notice has gone out. So, for all of you looking for a little reading to begin your weekend …

“Should the City increase sales tax two-tenths of one percent for expansion of Tacoma Link, historic streetcar renovation and creation of a Transit Commission?”

WHEREAS, for fifty years, streetcars helped to build many neighborhoods in Tacoma and moved more than a hundred million passengers a year;

WHEREAS, Tacoma Link light rail opened for service seven years ago in 2003 and has since carried millions of passengers;

WHEREAS, several of Tacoma’s Neighborhood Councils have signed a letter in support of expansion of the light rail / streetcar system beyond Downtown and into the city’s neighborhoods;

WHEREAS, other communities like the City of Portland and City of Seattle have begun the process of building streetcar networks to stimulate dense, mixed use economic investment in surrounding areas and to encourage sustainable mobility without the use of automobiles;

WHEREAS, Tacoma residents approved ST2 in 2008, which provides $80 million in matching funds for expanding the light rail/streetcar system in the City of Tacoma;

WHEREAS, the City Council commissioned and adopted the findings of the Streetcar Advisory Committee to build a citywide streetcar network nearly three years ago;

WHEREAS, the communities of 6th Avenue, Upper Tacoma, the Stadium District, Old Town, the Lincoln International District and others are potential candidates for streetcar expansion in the coming decade, if the City takes reasonable and appropriate, but untaken steps,

Be It Ordained by the Voters of the City of Tacoma, that:

A new chapter of the Tacoma Municipal Code is established under the heading “Transit and Streetcars” and that the proceeding sections be included in the chapter.

Section 1. Findings and Intent. The voters of the City of Tacoma find that there is a compelling need to rapidly expand our frequent-service modern streetcar system, Tacoma Link Light Rail, beyond Downtown Tacoma and into our neighborhoods, business districts, and Mixed Use Centers. The voters find that there are also compelling needs for the City to: 1) Invest in sustainable transportation links like bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and trails and 2) Work for comprehensive improvement of Pierce Transit. The voters intend that the City should take the lead on the development of light rail/streetcar extensions
throughout the City of Tacoma and should take reasonable actions given authorized funds to accelerate progress on such extensions.

Section 2. Subject – Build the Streetcar. This Act deals with the implementation of the first phase of a sustainable multimodal transportation system in the City of Tacoma that includes: streetcars, rapid buses, bicycles, and pedestrians. This Act is to be known as the “Build the Streetcar Act.”

Section 3. Authorization of Transportation Benefit District Levy. Pursuant to the authority granted to the City of Tacoma under RCW 36.73.065, the voters of the City of Tacoma support and authorize that an additional regular sales tax levy of two cents per ten dollar purchase to be levied within 90 days of the passage of this Act within the boundaries of the Transportation Benefit District encompassing the project identified in Section 5 of this Act and any other projects identified by the City of Tacoma’s Transportation Benefit District ordinance. This sales tax levy shall continue for a period of ten years.

Section 4. Green Transportation Alternatives Fund. Funds from Section 3 of this Act shall be deposited into into a municipal “Green Transportation Alternatives” (GTA) Fund administered by City staff under the direction of the City Council of the City of Tacoma. GTA funds shall be allocated towards the purposes of fulfilling the projects described by the Transportation Benefit District ordinance, and to those ends, all sections of this Act, including, but not limited to: planning, engineering, and construction, of the project outlined in Section 5 and other actions needed for Section 8 through Section 10.

Section 5. Identified Project. The policy of the City of Tacoma shall be, that the following streetcar extension identified in the Puget Sound Regional Council’s transportation plan, from now on referred to as “Phase 1,” be completed and ready for public service by December 2016, 11 years earlier than originally planned:
Puget Sound Regional Council Project ID: 4075 – Tacoma Link Extension from Theater District to Tacoma Community College using Tacoma Link Technology.

Section 6. Description of the Project.
The Phase 1 streetcar extension will be built principally as a double-tracked, street-level, shared right-of-way mass transportation system with traffic signal priority, which will be electrically powered, with steel wheeled vehicles. Stations will be placed depending on the density and demographics of the particular neighborhood. Sound Transit will operate the streetcar extension at 10 minute intervals at least 14 hours each weekday.

Immediate expansion of the existing system will generally follow the following alignment: from the existing station at S. 9th & Commerce St., heading north past Old City Hall and up Stadium Way to the Stadium District. The line will continue up North 1st Street to Division and continuing West on 6th Avenue with stops along the way to Tacoma Community College.

Section 7. Incremental Progress. Segments of the streetcar extension between the S. 9th and Commerce/Theater District Station and Tacoma Community College may be brought into public service before the entire line is completed.

Section 8. Instructions to the City – Become the Lead Agency on Tacoma Transit Expansion. To expedite completion of the Identified Project in Section 5, the City Manager shall appoint, and the City Council will confirm a “Director of Transit” who shall take actions to accelerate development of Phase 1 such that the project is “shovel-ready” by the end of November 2011. The term “shovel-ready” shall be
defined as meaning that a) A feasible and sufficiently detailed project schedule is produced to enable construction to begin within 6 months, b) Alternatives Analysis as defined by the Federal Transit Administration is complete, c) a Preferred Alternative plan has been formally adopted by the City Council, d) Necessary environmental documentation has been filed with appropriate regulatory bodies, and e) Engineering and Design is at least 30% complete.

Additionally, the Director of Transit and City Manager shall take actions to apply for and/or negotiate for, any and all applicable matching grants or funds from other entities such as the State of Washington, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and the Federal Transit Administration, in addition to funds raised by Section 3 of this Act, in order to complete construction of Phase 1.

The Director of Transit will produce monthly reports on project progress and shall present these reports to the Transit Commission. The first report will be due on February 28th, 2011.

Section 9. Planning and Oversight for the Future of Transit in Tacoma. There shall be a “Transit Commission” composed of five members. The five members shall be residents of the City of Tacoma and be appointed and confirmed by the City Council for terms of four (4) years each. Each of the individuals will either have been a regular rider of public transportation in Tacoma for more than five years or have indepth knowledge in at least one of the following subject areas: public transportation, transit-oriented development, or sustainability. A majority of the voting members of such Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The Commission shall be authorized to adopt rules for the transaction of business not inconsistent with the City Charter or ordinances of the City of Tacoma. Said Transit Commission members shall serve without pay.

The Commission will be charged with accomplishing the following objectives, taking into account ample public input:

1. Oversee the progress of streetcar implementation;
2. Provide recommendations to staff and the City Council concerning streetcar implementation;
3. Within one year, produce a thirty-year, “Tacoma Transit Plan” with design guidelines, a map of route alignments, and a proposed schedule of investments within that time frame, while coordinating
with relevant agencies;
4. Develop a plan for a second phase of streetcar extensions to other neighborhoods as a part of the Tacoma Transit Plan;
5. Update the Tacoma Transit Plan at least once every two years;
6. Identify deficiencies in the public transit system; and,
7. Provide ongoing policy recommendations concerning public transportation and sustainable transportation systems.

Prior to transmitting the Tacoma Transit Plan or recommendations for changes to the Tacoma Transit Plan to the City Council for adoption, the Transit Commission will submit such recommendations to the Planning Commission for review and comment.

Within 30 days of the passage of this Act, the City Council shall act to appoint the Transit Commission. The Transit Director shall be present at all meetings of the Transit Commission and shall assist the Commission in its work and coordinate efforts with other staff. The Commission shall meet within 45 days of the passage of this Act.

Section 10. Restore One of Tacoma’s Historic Streetcars. In the interests of historic preservation and cost-effective acquisition of streetcars themselves, the City shall take such actions as necessary to find, acquire, rehabilitate, and restore at least one streetcar that historically operated in the City of Tacoma. The City shall solicit private donations and grants to make such a vehicle operable on modern streetcar tracks, and shall consider it as a part of the project to extend Tacoma Link.

Section 11. Interlocal Agreements. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the City’s ability to work with other organizations and agencies through interlocal agreement or other means to implement this Act.

Section 12. Severability. The provisions of this ordinance are declared to be separate and severable. The voters of Tacoma declare that they support each of the provisions of this Act independently, and their support for this Act would not be diminished if one or more of its provisions were to be held invalid, or if any of them were adopted by the City Council and the others sent to the voters for approval.

Section 13. Interpretation. This Act is to be liberally construed to achieve the defined intent of the voters.

[JacobR]

UWT's Joy Building - Retail Along Pacific!
( 4. March 2010, 09:49 by Derek Young)

If you may recall, a story in The News Tribune last November revealed a difference of opinion between the University of Washington Tacoma and the Downtown Merchant Group regarding retail in the Joy Building. UWT had announced plans to use the remodeled Joy Building’s Pacific Avenue frontage for classroom space. The DMG argued that businesses had made choices based on a UWT promise that the space would be used for retail.

This morning’s DMG meeting revealed a slight change of direction. The Joy Building will now have retail stores along its Pacific Avenue side with classrooms behind them. This will create the potential for a few solid blocks of retail in downtown Tacoma from Tollefson Plaza to the Harmon Brewery.

[Omega1]

Hello fellow SSC member

im conducting a group research project for my class about the gentrification in the Hilltop area of Tacoma. Can anyone provide addresses of where I can find new development in the area? My research explores the economic inequalites in the area so I need to compare the old neighborhood of Hilltop to the new development taking place in the area. Also it would be helpful if someone can pull up old post concerning development in the area.

Thank You

[Seasun]

Are you sure you're doing the research or are the rest of us doing it? Sorry couldn't resist. Welcome to SSC. I don't know a lot about Tacoma development but if you could provide some more context such as the following you might get some good leads:
1. What kind of class is this for? i.e. high school, college, etc.
2. Are you familiar with Census data or do you think census data would be helpful? Some people on here have some good knowledge of where to look for this.
3. Have you spoken with economic development or building permit staff at the City of Tacoma? I'm assuming there are staffers who might be able to give some really good leads and examples of new developments in the area. You also might want to talk with realtors, developers or the local police precinct captain or block watch leader.
4. Gentrification itself is a very loaded word for some people. Your question is stated as if it is happening not whether it is happening. I'm just curious if you're setting out to prove that it's happening or if you're wanting to find out if it's happening. Either way, it would be interesting to know how you define gentrification (home values controlled for the overall decline in values, household income, racial categories, recent immigrant status, family size.)

People on here like discussing such things and might provide some good leads.

[JacobR]

Most new development on Hilltop is centered around Yakima Ave. from about 15th to 25th Street. It is not all new market-rate condos, there has been hundreds of low-income rentals built as well in that area. Most of the new developments were built on land that has been vacant for 10 +/- years.

Most of the changes in Hilltop has been from people buying single-family houses and fixing them up.

Originally Posted by Omega1

Hello fellow SSC member

im conducting a group research project for my class about the gentrification in the Hilltop area of Tacoma. Can anyone provide addresses of where I can find new development in the area? My research explores the economic inequalites in the area so I need to compare the old neighborhood of Hilltop to the new development taking place in the area. Also it would be helpful if someone can pull up old post concerning development in the area.

Thank You

[Puertalian]

Originally Posted by JacobR

Elks project takes big step

JOHN GILLIE; Staff writer

McMenamins: Developers, Tacoma announce pick of Bellevue builder, Seattle architectural firm


A plan that would transform the site next door to downtown Tacoma’s historic but tattered former Elks Temple into a structure including a garage and apartment building took a big step forward.

The City of Tacoma and developers Grace Pleasants and Rick Moses announced Monday that they’ve picked a Bellevue construction company and a Seattle architectural firm to design and build the garage, retail and apartment structure adjacent to the venerable lodge building near Old City Hall.

The design-build team of GLY Construction Co. of Bellevue and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects of Seattle will design the new structure and manage its construction if the Tacoma City Council ratifies the selection next month.

The GLY-ZGF team was among four contractor-architect groups that responded to the city’s request for qualifications to create the project.

“We were very pleased at the expertise and experience that the two firms will bring to this project,” said Ellie Walkowiak, project manager for the city’s Community and Economic Development Department.

Pleasants, one of the co-developers for the Elks project, said the two companies have an extensive portfolio of major projects they’ve created.

“Grace and I are beyond pleased to have such a highly qualified team working on the Elks project,” said Pleasants’ development partner Rick Moses in an e-mail. “GLY and ZGF are the best in the business, and we are confident they will deliver an outstanding product for the City of Tacoma.”

GLY has built much of Microsoft’s corporate headquarters campus and is currently building the first phase of Amazon.com’s new headquarters near Lake Union. ZGF has designed Safeco’s corporate office expansion; major university buildings at the University of Oregon, the University of Arizona and Washington State University; the Oregon Convention Center; and Portland International Airport’s expansion.

The Elks project has three major partners. The City of Tacoma will build the 280-stall garage north of the former Elks Temple. That garage will support a six-story retail and apartment structure that Pleasants and her partner, Southern California entrepreneur Moses, will build.

Oregon-based McMenamins, a hotel and entertainment company, will remodel the old temple into a hotel, restaurant, brewpub and entertainment venue.

The city-owned garage will serve the hotel, the apartments and the retail space, which Pleasants and Moses hope to lease to an upscale grocer.

The total project cost is expected to be about $42 million – $12 million for the hotel, $9 million for the garage and $21 million for the 70-unit apartment structure. The GLY-ZGF group is expected to design and build the apartment-retail complex that will sit atop the garage. McMenamins has selected Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects of Portland to design the hotel and entertainment center.

If the council approves the contract, said Walkowiak, design work will begin with a groundbreaking for the new structure set for November. Construction contracts for the structure will be bid this summer.

Before the groundbreaking can happen, Moses and Pleasants must secure financing for their portion of the project. Pleasants said the two are making good progress in securing financing and a grocery store tenant. Two grocery chains are considering the Broadway level as the site for a 25,000-square-foot store, she said.

Moses said the two are looking for a federal Housing and Urban Development loan guarantee.

If the new project breaks ground in November and the McMenamins portion of the project begins somewhat later, both should be ready to open their doors in 2012, Pleasants said.

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca is based in Portland, with a satellite office in Seattle.

[Vashon118]

Work stops on luxury Ruston condos

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/0...on-condos.html

[alexjonlin]

Dang. But I mean, was anyone expecting that luxury condos in Tacoma would stay alive in this economy?

[JacobR]

Jackson Building:
Bank pulls plug on the Jackson Building

Tacoma: Bank sues Jackson Building developers for fraud
This is how it sits today:

Pic from The News Tribune

The Commencement (Ruston):
Work stops on luxury Ruston condos

Elks Project:
McMenamins hotel and rooftop bar for Elks project in Tacoma
Elks complex: It gains height, cost, maybe a Whole Foods; timeline longer
Hotel is going in to the new building instead of the Elks Lodge.

Pic from The News Tribune

Foss Hotel:
Construction to start in October
Foss hotel gets go-ahead, pollution claim protection

Pic via Tacoma Weekly courtesy of Hollander Investements

UWT:
UW Tacoma changes design plan for Pacific Avenue site
The University of Washington Tacoma has changed course on the ground-floor design of its newest Pacific Avenue renovation, giving up on a large classroom and instead planning to lease all the street-facing space to retailers.



Pic from The News Tribune

Downtown Parking:
Downtown Tacoma parking: Tentative D-day for pay stations

The *semi* official date that free street parking in downtown Tacoma will disappear and motorists will be required to feed parking meters (or in this case, "pay stations") is ...
September 7th -- the day after Labor Day.

[alexjonlin]

Wow so a hotel project is actually going to start construction in Downtown Tacoma in this economy, and another major hotel project is planned? I didn't realize there was much demand for hotel space down there. The next big American tourist destination?

[JacobR]

Originally Posted by alexjonlin

Wow so a hotel project is actually going to start construction in Downtown Tacoma in this economy, and another major hotel project is planned? I didn't realize there was much demand for hotel space down there. The next big American tourist destination?

The Hollanders own the Courtyard Marriott in DT Tacoma and are the ones planning the Foss hotel so they must see something. I work a bit with the hotel and next to the convention center and I can see things have been picking up a lot.
Also Downtown Tacoma doesn't have many hotel rooms. I think 500 in the core. Compare that to Spokane which is the name size, I believe they have around 3000 hotel rooms in Downtown.

[cpm_seattle]

This is not necessarily "development" per se... but the I-5/SR16 interchange work and the upgrades to SR16 (I-5 to Jackson Street) are significant. Having a truly functional secondary "freeway" cutting through the western part of Tacoma is a very nice thing to have IMHO. Anything comparable in Seattle? No. Tacoma has a lot of potential. Haven't we been saying that for... the last 100 years? I'll admit... I'm a Tacoma fanboy living in Seattle. If I would have known in the 1970's and 1980's what I know now... I would have bought all of the cheap vacant lots from 15th-24th and Yakima-Market. Of course, I didn't have any dough back then (and still don't).

[CrazyAboutCities]

Are they going to demolish that part where have cool columns? I never seen that kind of columns like that before. We drove though that freeway often but never get to see what was under us while crossing it.

[JacobR]

Originally Posted by CrazyAboutCities

Are they going to demolish that part where have cool columns? I never seen that kind of columns like that before. We drove though that freeway often but never get to see what was under us while crossing it.

If you are talking about the rusty colored columns, that is a new temporary roadway.
I believe they are only currently building half of the project (westbound) at the moment. Eastbound starts after the westbound section is finished.