Downtown Tree Lighting on Dec. 2nd

24 comments

• R rich November 27, 2007

  I’ll bring it up again…what’s with the 80’s christmas decor downtown…you think we could buy some new lights instead of these yellow lit decorations……pretty tacky stuff now days….

• J Jake November 27, 2007

  Tollfeson Plaza. The Plaza Christmas left behind. :(

  I still think the NEW center of downtown should be used for the Christmas tree. Nothing wrong with changing tradition a bit.

• E Erik B. November 27, 2007

  Tollfeson Plaza. The Plaza Christmas left behind. I still think the NEW center of downtown should be used for the Christmas tree. Nothing wrong with changing tradition a bit.

  I don’t anyone would go to this dead zone in the middle of the dead of winter. The last year has shown us that people avoid Tollefson Plaza like the plague in every season.

  The current location by Broadway works pretty well as it is where some life of the city is and the Pantages lobby, Tullys and many, small business and restaurants are where people can go before and after the lighting. Last year, it worked great.

• J Jake November 27, 2007

  People make dead zones.
  I think the Christmas tree could really work in the plaza better than the street right-of-way in front of the Pantages. It is almost like that plaza was designed for a Christmas tree in the center and nothing else.

  Reason to have the Christmas Tree in the plaza:

  - Central Location in Downtown Tacoma

  - Open Space could hold more people, more holiday events

  - Near Downtown Tacoma’s most successful retail strip.

  - Can be viewed by passing traffic on DT’s main drag.

  - No cramped stuffy lobby

  - You can bring the coffee and hot chocolate to the plaza (sponsors?).

  - Would probably be the best event to take place at the plaza. No stages to block the view from the street.

  - The Plaza steps will wrap around the Tree.

  - Closer to visitors in hotels.

  - Can handle a larger tree.

  - No need to shut down streets

  - Near 2 LINK stations

  - Area has a better reputation/less crime (= more people?).

  - Most cities hold their tree lightings in public plazas not in street right-of-ways.

  We also need some buzz. I bet most of the people that attend the tree lighting in front of the Pantages are members of the BCPA. How about Washington’s largest Christmas Tree? How about a choir? Santa? Large presents under the tree? Keep the people around. Last year I attended the lighting and as soon as the tree was lit everyone left the area. It was a dead zone and stayed that way until this year when we do it all again. In the plaza it is a destination. People will stop by. Take their dates there. Bring the kids to see it. At the Pantages you pretty much just drive by it.

• E Erik Hanberg November 27, 2007

  I’ve been a fan of the tree at the Pantages for a long time, but I think Jake makes a good case….

  Christmas Tree Lighting in the Museum District, First Night in the Theater District … it has a certain balance.

• J jamie from thriceallamerican November 28, 2007

  The failure of Tollefson Plaza was discussed at some length earlier.

  Dude, I don’t think there was any sort of consensus on that thread that Tollefson Plaza is a failure, or more importantly that it was a irredeemable failure. Perhaps it was poorly executed: there should be more greenery, the (ugly-ass) Marriot should have built some windows or a restaurant space facing the plaza, etc., but it is what it is. It sounds to me like your argument is that we should just throw up our hands and let it continue to suck instead of doing, y’know, anything to try to get people to gather there and change what it is. C’mon, Erik B., if you’re a true gritty Tacoman, you’ve gotta show some grittiness…it’s not what we want it to be now, but we should at least try to make it into something we want it to be!

  (Aside: You’ll note that the final comment on the thread you linked to was Jake lobbying for a Tollefson Plaza Christmas tree…hmmm.)

• S Sherri November 28, 2007

  Isn’t Tacoma big enough for two trees?

• C Crenshaw Sepulveda November 28, 2007

  Good public places do not need to beg people to show up. About the only people is see at Toffefson Square are skateboard riders. Can the square be repurposed as a skateboard park so that we can consider the natural users as other than trespassers?

• K Karin November 28, 2007

  I fully agree with Jake, I’ve never attended a tree lighting in Tacoma, but I would be more apt to if it were down in the plaza. It seems like the broadway area would be too small and I wouldn’t be able to see anything, but I wouldn’t have that fear with the plaza.

• B Broadway resident November 28, 2007

  Just a heads-up, the City Arts magazine/Boeing Calendar page shows the tree lighting still being on 11/28, so thanks for the correct link. I know people who were planning to attend tonight, and couldn’t find any info on the city website calendar, where they were looking to confirm.

  I can see reasons for both locations, but I’ll attend no matter where in the city it’s held. (Fortunately, it’s not my decision.)

• L Laura Hanan November 28, 2007

  The Theater District has been struggling for the past three years, even though it is the historic center of the city.

  It sounds like several people here would be more than happy to give this area its Last Rites in favor of a “new center of downtown” – I guess a newer sparklier one without crime.

  How about instead we get rid of the crime and return the Theater District to what is used to be and can be – I bet the five new high-end restaurants really appreciate your touting the true retail area as being a half a mile away on Pacific. Give me a break. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – downtown Tacoma is too small to have a bad area of town.

  The fact that the area around the Pantages is crowded for the tree lighting is part of the charm – people have to huddle in and get close to each other…maybe even speak.

  And what’s up with dismissing the Pantages – Aren’t we trying to preserve/repurpose our historic buildings? Or will it be relegated to some type of bus tour that drives through the area because it is located in a “bad neighborhood.”

  And, not to be paranoid (which I am) but I’m sure someone is waiting to say that because I have complained about and documented crime in the area that I have contributed to/created the negative attitude toward the Theater District.

  Tacoma’s crime is out of whack and has been for a long time. There is no reason why a city that is a third the size of Seattle should have a higher crime rate and that’s not per capita, that’s incidents.

  Are Tacomans so lame that now they are infighting about which area should be valued and which should be abandoned? Hasn’t Seattle done that to us long enough?

• R Rebecca November 28, 2007

  I like the tree lighting where it is… but it is just a little boring. There used to be a parade and stuff, which I’m not a big fan of parades but at least it was more than switching the tree on and leaving. Any ideas out there? The only thing I can think is vendors/sponsors but they might freeze to death being out on the street.

• S Sherry November 29, 2007

  Here is additional information about the Tree Lighting: As an option You will have the opportunity to share the Holiday Spirit with others by bringing nonperishable food items for the Fish Food Bank. Full info is at http://downtowntacoma.com/events.htm

• J johnschoppert November 29, 2007

  Want a different tree lighting. Well, the Stadium Historic Business District is helping present the Dickens Festival throughout the Stadium District. Free Carriage rides to events, events at King’s Books, First Presbytrian, Tacoma Little Theater, and a tent set up at Titus Chevoret. Jugglers, Magicians, period costumes (costume contests), Dance companies, choirs, a really great Punch and Judy Show (not to be missed!), . . .all these great events happening Saturday, Dec. 8th from noon to 6:00, ending in the lighting of the Tree at Norton Park (across from First Pres. Church).
  It will be a lot of fun. Pick up a program at any Stadium business and check out all the goodies to happen that day.

• J julie December 2, 2007

  1. regarding the hoakey decorations: these are not paid for by the city but rather by the little mom and pop retailers of downtown. They were VERY expensive and every year a group of hearty volunteers spends hours checking all the lights and preparing them to be rehung. This isn’t seattle. if it were big box retailers like macy’s and nordy’s would have a pile of $ to do something really fab. The city has little to do with this and we know how little $ Tacoma has for any sort of frills.
  2. tree lighting: the city already has 2 tree lightings. First a tree is lit in stadium and then the parade moves down and lights yet another tree on Broadway. I was on the committee for this and tried to push through new ideas to revitalize it but traditions run so deep that even if they are dead, no one wants to let go of them. T. Plaza is the more logical choice simply due to visibility. Nearly everyone in the city passes by there at some point. It is our living room. Another thing the space is really suited to that would draw people all through the christmas season (it could stay up through january even): a skating rink like they have in Seattle’s downtown shopping district. If it works for rockerfeller square, why not us?
  3. The problem with T plaza in general: what PACIFIC plaza needs ( I know almost no one who has even heard of ‘Tolefsons plaza or has any idea of where it is, or how to spell it-no offense to the Tollefsons.), is a giant bean or something similar. What am i talking about? check this out!!!!!
  http://www.millenniumpark.org/artandarchitecture/cloud_gate.html
  We once turned down Andy Warhol’s proposal for a giant poppy painted on our dome. Now that we are a city based on the arts, shouldn’t we start investing in really fantastical mind blowing public art? (maybe some sort of giant T for tolefsons plaza?)

• J julie December 2, 2007

  PS/ I hope that despite the rain and lameness of everything people will still try to come down to the dec. 2nd lighting as an act of community if nothing else. I suck. I have a previous engagement and can’t be there…
  PPS/ why dont we recruit the people that do the wharf concerts in seattle to put on smaller outdoor shows at the plaza? Give them some great deal to get them hooked in maybe?

• E Erik B. December 2, 2007

  Another thing the space is really suited to that would draw people all through the christmas season (it could stay up through january even): a skating rink like they have in Seattle’s downtown shopping district. If it works for rockerfeller square, why not us?

  Tollefson Plaza a skating rink? That could work. People might go there then.

• C Crenshaw Sepulveda December 2, 2007

  I thought Tollefson Plaza was already a skate board park. Wouldn’t the ice be kind of hard on the skate boarders?

• C Christy December 2, 2007

  A skating rink is exactly what I was thinking! And a rink with a stately LED lit tree would be a great spoon! One thing that Rockefeller Square does is, during the summer it’s an outdoor restaurant. And that IS another thing Tacoma needs more of is alfresco dinning.

  Truthfully, I’ve always loved the tree lighting on Broadway, but Tollefson is so much more appropriate. I don’t mean that in an abandoning way, I just don’t understand the whole idea that anything in this town has to be left behind. Downtown, the theater district, the mall, the sweet little neighborhoods… why can’t we make it all work. Seattle seems to do O.K. with 3 major shopping areas downtown; 2 mall surrounding the city; the Center; and the countless neighborhoods I envy so much. Why does Tacoma have to put all of it’s focus on the “hot spot du jour”?

• C CJ December 3, 2007

  I asked for a skating rink months ago! Why can’t we have it both ways. Tree and Ice, even I would go down town in the evening for that. Maybe just to watch everyone else fall on their #**. Keep the tree by the theaters with all the trimmings that it has and create a new tree with the promise of a brighter future for the area that it gives new life to. I agree with you Jake

• C Crenshaw Sepulveda December 3, 2007

  9th and St. Helens/Broadway has always been the traditional heart of Tacoma. This location is one of the most photographed locations over the last 100 years. The Winthrop had a lot to do with it, just the type of intersection it is had something to do with it. Kind of hard to move the heart of a city from one location to another, like in humans the patient dies more often then not. As with humans, it is best to take care of your heart if you want a long and productive life.

• J julie December 3, 2007

  Heres the perfect tree for tacoma: a glass tree.
  http://venixe.com/en/newsflash/the-biggest-christmas-tree-in-glass-blown-has-been-made-in-murano.html?Itemid=59
  anybody have Chihuly’s number? maybe he would like to make one? (just don’t tell him that urbanXchange sells t-shirts that say “Chihuly blows.”)

• C Crenshaw Sepulveda December 3, 2007

  Chihuly blows, but he doesn’t suck. What a great tree julie linked to. A tree like that would be a magnificent addition to our downtown holiday festivities. Could it be a project for our soon to be newest hotel, the Murano (soon to be the former Sheraton) with their glass themed hotel this would make a fine gift to the community.

• C CJ December 5, 2007

  I just checked the tree out that Julie refers to. Now that would something to head to Tacoma for!