Exit133

September 22, 2009 · Derek

Foss Hotel Project Still Delayed by Council?

Do you remember the poor unloved Foss Site 4? We’ve talked about hotel project after hotel project since the beginning of Exit133. There was sand on the beach and dreams of a boutique hotel. Then, the development market collapsed.

Over the last few months, Hollander Investments has been going before City Council committees showing the latest hotel vision for the site. The project would include three to five buildings built over a structured parking garage. The site would include two hotels, an office building, retail, and marine support facilities on the Foss Waterway. All the City had to do was indemnify Hollander from the environmental issues that may already be on the site – something the City has done readily in the past. Plus, there’s the added urgency of a shoreline permit that expires at the end of the month.

Well … the project hit a bit of a roadblock last week as the Council voted to hold off on the indemnification agreement “indefinitely.”

The News Tribune has a story today on the project that provides more background. There are lobbying efforts to get the project moving. There are lobbying efforts to keep it stalled. There’s the opinion that the City shouldn’t settle for a Marriott Residence Inn at this site.

With the first set of deadlines fast approaching at the end of the month, will we ever see development at Site 4? Or, is this the right decision by Council? Is there something we don’t know yet?

Link to The News Tribune

Previously on Exit133

UPDATE – 1:55 pm

Councilmember Mike Lonergan inquired about the status of the indemnity resolution during today’s City Council Study Session. Lonergan’s basic point was that the City was making a statement through its inaction. He didn’t understand why it was still being held up. It became a big can of worms. There were some vague notions of unanswered questions and the need for additional input from legal council. Councilmember Ladenburg stated very clearly that she would prefer to speak to councilmembers and staff directly and not in this venue.

At the end of a long discussion, it was proposed that the topic be on the agenda for next week’s Study Session for potential consideration that evening … we’ll see.

Filed under: Tacoma Business, Waterfront, Developments, Foss Waterway, Hotels, Foss Waterfront, Foss Hotel

20 comments

  • Erik B. September 22, 2009

    How incredibly disappointing and troublesome to see the Foss Hotel project at risk of being thwarted.

    At the very minimum, the City Council should be making substantive decisions based on the agenda before them.

    Instead, they admit that there are no environmental concerns.

    Yet, due to competition fears from the Murano and an unrealistic request to make the hotel union only (there is only one other union hotel in the entire county)

    Very disappointing to see that the council would consider thwarting a downtown hotel project on collateral factors not even before them.

    If the Tacoma City Council wishes to mandate union only hotels in Tacoma, they should place the issue on the agenda for public comment and study.

    Tacomans expect that the council will make decisions on the substantive issues before them.

    The relatively dead waterfront and anemic downtown are having enough problems and only a single crane is building anything in downtown.

    Must the council kill off the trickle of interest in developing downtown?

    The council has a last minute chance to rectify their error and vote on the issues before them and approve the environmental agreement.

    The last minute erratic actions of the council is placing Tacoma is at serious risk of being considered completely unpredictable and hostile to any future investment or development.

    They should remember the latin phrase Primum non nocere : First do no harm.

  • P September 22, 2009

    I listened to last week’s presentation by Mark Hollander. He keeps talking about managing risk. Here’s a hint for the City Council – other developers are watching. If there’s a real and legitimate concern, make it public. If this is about unionization of the site, say it. The awkward shifting in the seats when you talk about this isn’t helping anybody feel good about potentially building here.

  • RR Anderson September 22, 2009

    Constitutions matter, and it’s time to flush this Ladenburg. Thank jesus for those term limits.

  • T-town September 22, 2009

    The city council is turning into a seriously malfunctioning body. The Mayor is a ceremonial character. Some council people are eyeing bigger political opportunities and have all but ignored their constituency while trying to incur favor from voters elsewhere. Some council people are on their way out and others run unopposed. Perfect storm for nobody at the council to give a rat’s ass.
    Between stalling this hotel, letting the Luzon go to hell, having a wall built through the Dome District, letting Russell slip away, waiting for the Murray Morgan to collapse and closing vital roads to appease Burlington-Northern, the only folks making out okay are the map makers. This is the most depressing time here in T-Town. I am mourning leadership for it has died a slow death! Oh, I am sorry. The council has been strong and supportive on all things parking-garage related.

  • Joe Cool September 22, 2009

    Since when does unionization have to do with any civic discussion or development approval? Goes to show which political affiliation some of our “non-partisan” council members side with.

    It sounds to me like the Hotel Murano needs to bust their union. Seems like an ideal time to do so. I bet there are plenty of people in this city willing to take a non-union job in a down economy.

  • Steve September 22, 2009

    I am frustrated with the messages we have been hearing from the City regarding other opportunities that they feel are waiting in the wings. If the council feels that they are settling for a Residence Inn then I am eager to hear about the other hotels that are on the City’s waiting list to break ground. The economic development department sent similar messages regarding Russell leaving, stating that they have turned away several interested parties looking for Class A space. I am concerned that the City does not fully recognize the difference between an organization “inquiring” and an organization signing a lease or purchasing a property. Those are not equal actions when it comes to economic development. If the City does manage to kill this deal then I sure hope they have a better hotel ready to pick up where Hollander left off…immediately. Nothing says “bush league” to investors and developers quite like council members playing transparent games to hide their true intentions and help out their buddies, I sure hope that’s not what we have here.

  • Rich September 22, 2009

    THIS IS IT!!!!! This is the most corrupt government ever. There should be a criminal investigation done. Talk about going out of their way to kill a town……

  • Rich September 22, 2009

    Here’s an idea for the corrupt goons in the government in tacoma, if you want your little boutique hotel, let the develope continue with the hotel on the foss and pursue a develope that can put up with your crap to try to develope a boutique hotel at the Post Office building…would be pretty cool, and of course with Russell leaving you’lll have plenty of parking in garage across from True Blue…..then, finally throw the bums out of the Winthrop, develope some balls, and get the Winthrop restored……..it will do amazing things to Tacoma…….of course these are all dreams of mine, in reality the leadership has no leadership and no idea of what their doing….>!!!!!!!!!! enough said…….

  • Jesse September 22, 2009

    Erik B. @ #1: God… I couldn’t have said it any better myself. Agreed 110%.

  • DavidS September 23, 2009

    So I’m curious Erik B., what is the one unionized hotel in the county? Do you know if there are many in King or Thurston Counties?

    Any updates from today’s council meeting?

  • Thorax Z. O'Tool September 23, 2009

    Why do so many people in power want Tacoma to FAIL?

  • Erik B. September 23, 2009

    So I’m curious Erik B., what is the one unionized hotel in the county? Do you know if there are many in King or Thurston Counties?

    I believe the only unionized hotel in Tacoma is the Murano.

    If the workers wish to form a union in one or more Tacoma hotels, that is certainly within their right.

    The problem here is to try to impose such a requirement through the environmental issues.

  • Mofo from the Hood September 23, 2009

    The big picture is that there are not a lot of qualified prospects that want to build at that location.

    A prospective developer must meet certain conditions, but the list of conditions isn’t certain.

  • Steve September 23, 2009

    I feel like this issue has clarified many things that had previously seemed confusing and contradictory regarding the City. Actions speak louder than 15 years of words, and unfortunately these actions are not at all consistent with what I thought the City was trying to achieve.

  • Jesse September 24, 2009

    Council had nine years to figure out what they want and don’t want here and are still unsure? Wow.

  • Thinking about Tacoma September 24, 2009

    I applaude the city’s delay and possible disapproval. Everyone seems to want development no matter the quality. If we continue to build the same stockplan buildings from corporate America we might as well call it Anyplace, WA. The site is prime real estate and will be attractive again when the economy recovers. We should be patient so that we don’t have an awful building for the next century. Think: McDonald’s for a quick lunch and nausea for the rest of the day.

  • RR Anderson September 24, 2009

    there will be times to influence the design later. First lets get the ball rolling… Hotel Murano be damned.

  • frizzlebee September 24, 2009

    Perhaps I’m missing something, but what exactly is wrong with Hotel Murano? As far as I can tell, it’s a classy hotel that honors the city’s art, and provides a place to stay for the higher-tax-bracket crowd. Brett Michaels stayed there… but don’t hold that against them.

  • crenshaw sepulveda September 24, 2009

    I’ve stayed at the Murano, it is nothing special and really not much of a step up from the old Sheraton. Sure they have some fancy glass art all around but the rooms themselves I can take or leave. Certainly not worth the money they are charging. The art is attractive but not enough to make the prices make sense.

  • RR Anderson September 25, 2009

    Hotel Murano’s greatest hits:

    - donation fee from city for big dipper thingy

    - caused wintergrass festival to move to Bellevue of all places

    - union/capital goons committing infanticide on competitor hotels via corrupt politicians who cling to their seats like hermit crabs (hence this tread).

    - force their staff to dress like evil Ronald McDonald clowns.

    - twitters constantly about free give away contests, but does not consider people who make cheeky entries however technically valid.

    - has ridiculous flaming bush landscape features adding to tacoma’s already besmirched reputation for air quality standards.

    - etc.