Tacoma Development News

[Puertalian]

Originally Posted by JacobR

The TNT had an article in todays paper updating us on the LeMay Musesum.

Looks like construction should start soon:

Hold your horsepower – for one more month. The board of the Harold E. LeMay Museum will likely vote May 2 to break ground on Phase 1 of a $100 million campus near the Tacoma Dome.

Today, three contractors who bid for the job have been selected to compete for final selection. The museum board will meet in Detroit on May 2, and along with selecting a final contractor, members will be asked to vote on a date to break ground on what now is a parking lot of the Tacoma Dome.

The end of the wait – and thus the real beginning of the museum – is nearer than ever before.

New Building Information: Click Here

Phase II Building:

pic from LeMayMuseum.org

Phase I:

Madeira says that when complete, the Phase 1 building will in itself be the world’s largest car museum.

LeMay architect Alan Grant says the 190,000-square-foot building – 400 feet long, 45 feet high and 80 feet wide on two levels – will contain a formal display area for 100 cars; a cafe; a banquet facility; two large club rooms; storage for 600 museum-owned vehicles (which will be on view to the public); 80 private storage bays paid for by collectors; classrooms; a research library and administration area; a boardroom; and a retail shop, all tied to the 3.5-acre show field where clubs and collectors can gather to share their automobile romances.

Thats pretty awsome. i remebered hearing about this but this is the first time ive seen the design.

[NW Mike]

I think its a great looking building!! I have been waiting for this for a while now. Great for Tacoma.

[JacobR]

Tacoma Condo Tour

Saturday, April 19
Sunday, April 20
10am to 6pm



Condos featured during the tour:

505 Broadway

City Steps

The Commencement

Esplanade

Granville

Marcato

McCarver Village

Metro City Homes

Midtown Lofts

Point Ruston

Roberson

Stadium 302

The Walker

More info at the Tacoma Condo Tour website

[mhays]

The deals are incredible in Tacoma. Good idea to get in while the city is early in its rise.

[NW Mike]

I have thought many times about buying in Tacoma. It would be a great investment, I believe.

[jessejb]

Originally Posted by NW Mike

I have thought many times about buying in Tacoma. It would be a great investment, I believe.

I have the same feeling about Spokane for some reason. Too bad I have no buying power!

[mhays]

Spokane is fine, but Tacoma has extra aces. It's overflow for a much larger and more expensive city. Its in the process of transitioning from undesirable to desirable in a lot of ways -- a clean, vibrant downtown being chief among them. Tacoma has gotten a lot nicer in the past decade, and it's starting to get discovered. THAT is when you want to buy.

[CrazyAboutCities]

Can't wait to see this museum to get built!

[TacomaBoy]

Off of the LeMay topic for a moment, here's a look at what's going on around town.

Let's begin with the Midtown Lofts...
Taken right in front on Fawcett. 3 floors down, 4 more to go! Only issue I have with these is the view of Mt Rainier from the downtown library will soon be a memory. Well, the view from ground level at least. You ought to still be able to see the mountain from the 2nd floor.



Crane action! Seriously, is there any doubt that this is a crane?

[TacomaBoy]

The two largest cranes up in town at the moment are neither for residential nor commercial... they're for 2 expansions at Tacoma General Hospital. These are pictures I took when it snowed a couple of weeks ago.
So, TG currently has two projects going on now. Up on MLK we have the new emergency room and down on I Street, we have the new boiler plant.

The rendering for the Boiler plant


From Wright Park, the walls for the plant are going up nicely. Dig those half-moon shapes... looks like it's near the final height already.


A little bit on the inside. Those walls are thick! I'm sure it has to be regulations since there are going to be some hefty boilers in there.


One more view. Kinda makes me wonder why they have such a large crane for the building.


And what a large crane it is! Not the biggest around town, but sure looks like overkill when compared to that render...

[TacomaBoy]

Up on MLK is the new emergency room. I can't seem to find a render for it. If anyone can, please post it. I want to see how this is supposed to turn out.

Here we have crane #2. Check out the boom on that thing! It's insanely long. This expansion probably won't be really tall, but probably pretty big.


Here is some equipment hiding behind a dirt mound.


A glimpse into the hole. There is a lot of netting on the fence, so it's real hard to see down into the pit. I'll try to get a shot from the garage across the street when I get a chance.


Loading up some cement!


And away goes the cement to a destination I can't see through the netting.

[TacomaBoy]

So, here's one for today. Stadium 302. For anyone who doesn't know, it's down on the opposite side of Stadium Bowl.
The sign:


Looking down the street... not the most flattering side of the building


Frontal shot. Fair amount of glass, but that's not surprising considering the view.


Around the bend in the road. Those porches are going to be so nice on a hot summer day!


The neighbors... the big guy in the back is Vista Del Ray. Built sometime in 1951. 185' tall, I think...


Remember that view I mentioned? This is only a small part of it...

[Puertalian]

Originally Posted by NW Mike

I have thought many times about buying in Tacoma. It would be a great investment, I believe.

do it. you know you want to. our city is on the verge of somting great i think. come and be a part of it.

[TacomaBoy]

Originally Posted by Puertalian

do it. you know you want to. our city is on the verge of somting great i think. come and be a part of it.

You're right on the money, amigo. Something big is brewing round here. It's almost like we're finally getting some respect and positive attention from our neighbors up north.
About time too!

[TacomaBoy]

And some proof of the good things brewing!

This is the Esplanade, currently the largest single residential project in town at the moment (Townhome City is bigger, but it's many, many buildings).

Taken from across the Thea Foss


Coming along nicely, as you can see from down on Dock Street. That's some of the last scaffolding left...


Dig them cRaZy angles


Finally, from down the block by Thea's Landing


...yes, I know about the smudge on my lens. I took care of it

[bgwah]

I like it.

[JacobR]

Here is the update on the McCarver Neighborhood in Downtown Tacoma:

This is a map I made a few months back for a condo I had listed in the neighborhood:


Townhomes

City Steps :






Metro Homes:








Bella View:







HighRidge:









McCarver Village:











Element 20:







Lexington Square:







Gaslamp Terrace:







Conversions:

Grandview Condos:



1919 Condos:



Nineteen02 Condos:



1939 South I Street Condos:



Low Income Rentals

Eliza McCabe Townhomes:





Hillside Terrace:






Neighborhood Shots:


McCarver Elementary School


St. Joseph's Medical Center



Proposed Grocery Store Mixed-Use Building Site


When Anarchist attack. TPD said they caught them.


Hwy 509 Cable-Stay Bridge


Some left over urban blight.

[mhays]

Some of those look nice, like Gaslamp Terrace, Eliza McCabe, and Hillside Terrace. Others look ok. A few look pretty bad.

But it's outstanding how much density is moving in. The southern hillside has historically been the most abandoned neighborhood in the Puget Sound area as far as I can tell, and it's turning around hugely. To be honest I haven't been around there for a while and I was wondering how much of the proposed work was actually getting built.

[TacomaBoy]

Originally Posted by mhays

Some of those look nice, like Gaslamp Terrace, Eliza McCabe, and Hillside Terrace. Others look ok. A few look pretty bad.

But it's outstanding how much density is moving in. The southern hillside has historically been the most abandoned neighborhood in the Puget Sound area as far as I can tell, and it's turning around hugely. To be honest I haven't been around there for a while and I was wondering how much of the proposed work was actually getting built.

The density is very much increasing, but considering how much space there is, I'd bet that with proper planning Tacoma could easily handle 100,000 or more newcomers without running into the same land shortages that plague Seattle.

Originally Posted by JacobR

When Anarchist attack. TPD said they caught them.

Anarchists? I'd say it's more likely bored teenagers.
Those are some nice pics you have, I didn't realize just how extensive the development is over there (I live in the Stadium Dist). I am quite pleased to see low-income housing that looks good... no projects for T-Town!

[TacomaBoy]

Here is Townhome city. The area under development is roughly between Pine on the east, Puget Sound on the west, about 40th on the north and 47th on the south. There is a metric assload of these things in there, with many older (look late 60s to 80s) homes.
I see lots of residential, but failed to find any of the "mixed use". Perhaps it's yet to be built?

** this is a big update! my apologies in advance to anyone with a slow connection **

Big row of them in the distance.. there seem to be two main styles. Some of these "apartment style" blocks:


and then there are these "rowhouse" style blocks:


Lots of bold color. Not sure if I like it.


Some of the apartment style ones under construction


Looking down a block (I don't remember which street is it... Alder, I think)


Looking south down Lawrence St... a preview of what the previous block will look like an a few months


Oh man... this sign just made me WANT to climb the fence!


Same townhomes from above. These are on Warner.


Looking west down 45th (that or 43rd) from Warner


Headed north on Warner (just up from the previous pic). I'm not 100% certain if they are a part of this huge project, but the styling and location leads me to believe they are likely connected.


Directly across the street from the surveillance sign building. Again, on Warner


Same ones. Check out the Cat. I always like getting the equipment in the scene... reminds you what it takes to build this stuff.


Exposed wires! Ok, maybe not the raw copper (or fiber optics). I think these are possibly telecommunications lines. Anyone know for sure?


From the same site. To give a little perspective on where this all is, that building high on the hill is the Apex, over by the mall.


Taken a couple of days ago over by Pine (that's the Tacoma Mall Office Building looming over them in the background). Don't know about anyone else, but these apartment style ones leave me cold.


Last one! It's an alternate rowhouse style. It's uncommon to see these kind, just the way everything is laid out, I guess.


Lots going on there, proof that this renaissance going on is not just limited to downtown and adjacent neighborhoods.