Elks to Become McMenamins!
In yesterday’s City Council Committee of the Whole meeting, the early stages of a a new Elks Building vision began to appear. Today’s TNT provides us with the rest of the details.
Developer Grace Pleasants (of Albers Mill fame) and a partner have apparently put together several of downtown Tacoma’s holy grails in a single project.
The two would immediately resell the white-stucco, five-story temple to Portland’s McMenamins for restoration and conversion into a combination hotel, brew-pub, spa and entertainment venue. On the lot to the north, under the developers’ plans, the City of Tacoma would build a five-story, 300-stall garage that would serve as a base for a six-story structure that includes a 22,500-square-foot grocery store on the Broadway level topped by five stories of apartments.
It’s a pretty amazing vision that even includes restoring the pool. Love it. Let’s get moving!
Link to The News Tribune
Filed under: McMenamins Elks Project
36 comments
S sandy July 8, 2009
McMenamins in Tacoma!!!! Be still my heart.
I I'm for Change (for tacoma) July 8, 2009
Is today Friday & this is a Exit133 spoof post?
N Nick July 8, 2009
Yeah, even though I know it’s July I scrambled to check my calendar to make sure today wasn’t April 1st.
So just one word… woah!
Y You're Welcome July 8, 2009
Wow! Awesome.
J Jimmmmm July 8, 2009
This would be great!! I have been to many of McMenamin’s locations here in Seattle and Portland. There is also a great Pub/Pool Hall/Movie Theater owned by them down in Chehalis.
R RR Anderson July 8, 2009
oh boy. crossing my fingers and toes!
M Morf July 8, 2009
McMenamins, a grocery store and a pool all in downtown Tacoma! It doesn’t get any better than that – and that is just the beginning….
C Chris K July 8, 2009
An urban gourmet grocery store, mixed uses galore, a moderate level of density and restoration of a Tacoma landmark – someone finally got it right. I wish it wasn’t so auto intensive though. All the more reason to extend Link to Stadium, MLK, and 6th Ave.
Has anyone connected how the Broadway LID might have influenced this turn of events? It might not have happened if we hadn’t made the investment in the streetscape.
J Jason July 8, 2009
One Loss (Luzon)
One Win (Elks)
Hopefully they transform this into the beutiful structure it once was.
S snoopy July 8, 2009
I’ll believe it when I see it. Wasn’t the Luzon suppossed to be restored?
A altered Chords July 8, 2009
The developer and a “partner” will immediately “sell” the building to McMenamin’s who will rennovate it.
So the 1st step is the “sale” of the building to McM.
I don’t think this would be made public unless the “sale” was already inked.
It also seems like there will not be a developer trying to get financing so that they can lease or sell the building, rather, the buyer will obtain financing to rennovate it.
I have to assume that this buyer has the wherewithal to obtain financing.
Time will tell but I’m more optimistic about this tale than others I’ve heard.
C crenshaw sepulveda July 8, 2009
Personally I would rather see some statement from the McMenamins people that they are actually interested in buying and renovating this property. Short of that I’m really not all that excited.
E Erik B. July 8, 2009
I hate to get my hopes up. But the Elks sits at such a critical junction downtown by the staircase and on Broadway. There is no missing the Elks Temple.
B Brian July 8, 2009
Been dreaming of this for years! My favorite building in Tacoma being fixed!
B Beth July 8, 2009
Hurray for Grace and Heritage Properties! They did such a wonderful job working with Albers Mill and teaming with McMenamins is a perfect fit for the Elks building.
The city needs to do everything it can to help this project be a success…we don’t need it to become another Winthrop or Luzon pipe dream.
D drizell July 8, 2009
It would take the fingers of several hands to count how many Elks redevelopment schemes have been proposed in recent years. We’ve been hearing about hotels, event spaces, restaurants and transit centers for years.
Given the failures of past efforts, I’d give this one about 20:1 odds of success. However, if it does succeed, maybe the developers will continue to improve Broadway by blowing up and rebuilding on the useless Union Club site next door. That would really be icing on the cake.
P Piet July 8, 2009
About two years ago, I had an email exchange with Mike McMennamin about creating a brewpub in Tacoma.
My wife and I were married in the Kennedy School in Portland and we felt as though Tacoma (our new home) had a lot of potential for the McMennamins to expand.
Is it ok if I take tiny little bit of credit for this?
U uoaaa181 July 8, 2009
please please please please please
6 6ther July 8, 2009
I’m soooooo skeptical. See what you’ve done to me city of destiny??!!
C CA July 8, 2009
This all sounds so great, but we’ve been burned too many times to get too excited. For the sake of the Elks building, and for the sake of downtown, I hope this plan comes to fruition. I’m just gonna wait to pop the corks though…
S Sarah July 8, 2009
I wondered if something was up…
When I got off the Stadium Way exit yesterday around 6pm I saw a top floor window/door open to one of the balconies.
I have never seen that and it obviously wasnt forced open, it was letting in light from a boarded up window/door.
Keeping my fingers crossed. The next debate will be the design on the adjoining lot I’m sure.
A Anike July 8, 2009
I’m hoping this one pulls through. I’ve always wished for something to fill that empty space and renovating the Elks is a dream I never thought I’d see.
D David Boe July 8, 2009
The Spanish Stairs are crumbling away, Old City Hall has broken windows and tattered canopies, but with the Broadway LID, it finally looks like somebody gives a #)@( in this town – and boom, what springs up looks like an acheivable deal for saving the Elks. Hmmm….
J Jesse July 8, 2009
I am so happy for Tacoma! Watch this area TAKE OFF! I’d credit the Broadway LID for a lot of this. Add streetcars/a cable-car and even hip Seattlites would be moving here.
Like I’ve said before (again and again) that these sorts of LIDS helped create an awesome DT Portland. Make a city:
1. Beautiful
2. Interesting
3. Sustainable (Livable/good jobs)
That’s it. It’s really that simple.
Way to go Tacoma! WAY TO GO!
Y You're Welcome July 9, 2009
I, for one, am keeping a positive attitude. I’ll be there on opening night famished and ready for booze.
O offbroadway July 9, 2009
[Rolling eyes] That’s so funny I forgot to laugh. C’mon, Derek, I’m gullible, but I’m not going to fall for that crying-wolf again and pick up the paper to look. Oh yeah, and it’s snowing. Yes, it will be a McMenamins, and you’re the Magical Man from Happy-Land, in a gumdrop house on Lollipop Lane…
But if this gets pulled off, the aptly-named [urban] Grace should be finally be canonized.
T Thorax O'Tool July 9, 2009
E Erik B. July 9, 2009
The Spanish Stairs are crumbling away, Old City Hall has broken windows and tattered canopies, but with the Broadway LID, it finally looks like somebody gives a #)@( in this town
Yes. My thoughts too.
The Broadway LID makes me think someone gives a #)@( about Tacoma. Its nice to see areas of downtown where blight and neglect are not always so dominant.
C cy July 9, 2009
I’m skeptical…but there are people out there that are COH that can pull off money deals without worrying too much about the banks. It’s also a good time for those people to negotiate with contractors and municipalities/government.
J jdub July 10, 2009
The telling point in the Trib article was that the Bros McMin tried to buy the building before, but Williams and Danes would only lease it. The Bros Mcmin don’t lease, they buy property, for obvious reasons. Now everyone who uses the stadium way off-ramp, a considerable amount of daily use, will see their name right there. they’re no dummies, welcome to the Bros. And they’re masters at re-using a building’s structure. So I would think a kick ass spa with pool – does Seattle have that?
I’m thinking turkish spa bent, just like the sailors of yore looked forward to.
I still think a light rail up Stadium Way is a bad idea, even up Broadway, but that may change . . .how do you get the light rail up to stadium? Mr. Boe?
J jdub July 10, 2009
OK, Just revisited Boe’s light rail plan for Stadium Way. The Stadium Way off-ramp is not going to go away. As mush as I like his plan. But it a northside downtown feeder for commuters. Well done Boe, wish it could be so.
I still the light rail should go up St. Helens, it makes the most sense. With a trolley hub at the base of 6th running all the way to Pearl.
Geez, the hills of Tacoma present some challenges, and some great opprotunities!
D Douglas Tooley July 11, 2009
I’m still dreaming of the cable car gondola down to the Foss Esplanade, near the Seaport….
C crenshaw sepulveda July 12, 2009
I’m seeing in the Tribune that the McMenimins are now connected with this project. I find the commentary there very different than the comments here. At the Tribune the typical comment regarding the Elks project has to do with grabbing your ankles and having the city sock it to you.
T tom waits July 13, 2009
in my humble opinion, if you want to know why Tacoma has had such a hard time shedding its regional reputation as a provincial, backwards, conservative armpit of a town (let’s be honest), read the comments on the TNT website. pick almost any article. some of those people need to crawl back under their rocks and let the world go on.
S Squid July 13, 2009
No kidding tom. I’ve had to stop reading the comments in the TNT, too painful for me to live in that community.
T tressie July 13, 2009
well, sure. the McMen’s are shirttale relatives and I know a lot about them…I’ll believe it when I see it. The BroadwayLID destroyed many businesses and people’s lives and people’s dreams down here. So, on your race to sanitized pretty gentrification, you are losing.
I do love the McMen’s projects. But if the same commitment to LOCAL business owners had been extended …that has been extended to Out-of-Towners, and to the Largest Corporations in Tacoma, the Elks bldg. project would have happened a decade ago, and without the BroadwayLID. I’ve been on this block a long time. We’re just placeholders and janitors for the wealthy. Such as it ever was.