DB: Dear Mr. or Mrs. Tollefson
Dear Mr. or Mrs. Tollefson,
I regret to inform you that your plaza is not fun. Not only is it impossible to have a good time there, it invokes in the human psyche a subtle yet un-ignorable sense of vulnerability and inevitable doom.
If you are anything like the plaza named in your honor then I do not fear I will offend you with this letter. I do not fear this because one can not become offended if one is soulless and devoid of human life, which is the conclusion I must draw based on the character of the plaza that bears your name. I may have gotten ahead of myself, and if so please forgive me. There is a possibility that you are such an illustrious family that many plazas have been named in your honor, some of them glorious and some, like ours, deftly mundane. I am specifically concerned with the only Tollefson Plaza I know of, that being the triangle shaped, planter pot colored mess of concrete somehow wedged into the center of a five point intersection where the Link tracks meet Pacific avenue across the street from the no-parking entrance of the Tacoma Art Museum.
As I have just described, the first flaw of this supposedly pedestrian place, is that it is bordered on three sides by a space of flows. It is actually hard to get to, and once you are there it is hard to stay. One feels pulled as if in a current, quickly past and onto the highway right out of Tacoma. Personally I feel it is repulsing tourists. There is nothing inviting about a strangely bloated bit of sidewalk in the middle of what feels like an eight-lane highway. When James Howard Kunstler was here it is reported he covered his head and ran from the park whimpering.
Some attempts have been made to “activate” the plaza, but it is as if the powers that be know they have a lemon on their hands. The activists have received little help. Attention and money seems to have gone to our cities equally defunct and yet slightly more marketable waterfront. Even when 40 or so community members are able to get together to promote an event in your space, as you can see in the picture here, it seems sparse, and even if you were driving by and wanted to stop you could not unless you were ready to leave your car in the intersection.
You need to step in here Toll, your name is being dragged through the mud. I’m just going to come out and say it: Your park cannot be activated. It must be transformed or deleted, or else you will be remembered as a very bad taste in the mouth of Tacoma.
Your Concerned Park Lover,
db
Filed under: Downtown Tacoma, Neighborhoods, Tollefson Plaza, DB
14 comments
R RR Anderson July 10, 2008
my joke has always been that wow tacoma must have really hated ol’ harold to name this nightmare in honor of him.
R RR Anderson July 10, 2008
what barren patch of god forsaken concrete will get named Baarsma Park?
M M July 10, 2008
Ok ok…I know we all hate it. And I know we’ve all heard suggestions…but if I could just…
Build a wall along Pacific…a republican sized Mexican-border wall. Erect a bunch of streetlights in the park and then plant a shit-load of greenery: trees and ivy along the wall (which could even be pretty – glass tiles by M-Space, glass museum, etc.), shrubbery and plants and more trees – many more trees (see http://www.erikemery.com/2008/06/plant-tree.html) in the park and on those goofy stairs…make it green, and quiet, and cool, and then, whether or not people spend time there is a moot point…because it will be awesome and amazing and a great place to eat your lunch during June, July, and August.
R RR Anderson July 10, 2008
M, as my father in law likes to pointout: we can wish in one hand and shit in the other… which hand fills up faster?
D Droid16 July 10, 2008
Well I have been threatening to do this.
On Weds from 11:30 to 1:00pm I will sit out there doing origami. Warren at TAS has offered me his awning and I may take him up on it.
Expect cranes and some very cool compound origami roses. Maybe even a tyrannosaurus and a paper balloon or two.
I will bring 300 sheets of paper and anyone is welcome to bring their lunch or kids or both and join in.
A altered chords July 10, 2008
Droid – please post some sort of reminder next wednesday morning.
Will there be a $500 gift cert. to El Gaucho for the winner of the Oragami contest?
D Droid16 July 10, 2008
I will be happy to post a reminder.
No contests. Just flying fingers and folding paper. Anyone who comes will be awarded a finely hand crafted origami model (should they choose to make one).
A altered chords July 11, 2008
Ironic: I sat in Tollefson Plaza for the first time just last night. The Tacoma Urban Orchestra held a rehearsal there and I’ve been interested in listening to them for months.
It’s an enormous space. Are we not expecting some outcome from the expense incurred by the city to fly a consultant in from Europe to help us re-design this space.
What is going on with that?
By the way – the Urban Orchestra is a must see/hear. For the rehearsal last night they had drums, electric bass, keyboard/music dirctor, 2 violins (possible 1 violin, 1 viola I could not determine), a cello and a vocalist with an absolutely lovely voice (soprano?)
If you ever hear of a performance – go check it out. I think some of their performances are unannounced so if you ever see a group of musicians consisting of strings, keyboard, bass, drums and a vocalist – take a moment to stop and enjoy the music.
P p July 11, 2008
The Plaza is a nightmare to book for events as the city/parks/chamber among others have been fighting over who is in charge. The City built it but didn’t plan on watering the grass, offering shelter, etc. It’s even too uncomfortable for the homeless to hang out. Except for Showcase Tacoma, and a couple of other events it is a cement wasteland. Even gangs don’t want to tag it—now that is hopeless…
M Mofo from the Hood July 11, 2008
Tall chain-link fence
+ Basketball courts
_____________________
Tollefson Plaza got game
A Alex Thomson July 11, 2008
Two words:
Skate Park.
D David Boe July 11, 2008
Fill-it in. If not with a building – then how about a giant earthen berm – The Baarsma Berm at Tollefson Plaza – so to speak.
A altered chords July 11, 2008
Alex, Alex, Alex…A skate park would not work. There is a large sign that states “No Skateboarding”.
Probably because it is “unsafe”. Unless we could put handrails everywhere.
D Droid16 July 16, 2008
Here is my reminder.
I will be sitting, possibly alone, in Tollefson Plaza today. I will have a table, some origami paper and I am happy to provide instructions.
<a href=“http://i.feedtacoma.com/droid116/cranes-stuff-today-folding-tollefson/”> Cranes and Stuff </a>