Exit133

February 27, 2008 · Derek

GTCTC Update

Yesterday the City Council heard an update about the health of the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center (say that 5 times fast!). The GTCTC has steadily increased its business over the last three years, and plans to do so in the future. Only one thing potentially stands in the way: lack of hotel rooms.

Representatives voiced concern over the lack of quality hotel rooms within walking distance from the Convention Center. The Marriott and Hotel Murano are great, but are not enough to handle larger groups from out of town. The Tacoma Dome Hotel has been utilized but patrons have expressed concern about the walk from the hotel to the light rail.

What about the three hotels proposed around town?

  • The Heidelberg site developer came back with a design that left us wanting, we are waiting for improvement.
  • The Foss Waterway hotel has been slated to start several times without any sign of progress.
  • The Winthrop has had some problems relocating residents, and despite $2 million from the City, is currently trying to close a funding gap.

So where does that leave us? There is a site south of the Convention Center that the City owns where a hotel could be built to create an all in one center and hotel. But other than that, officials are hoping the projects above come online before the US Open in 2015. The GTCTC is already feeling the benefits of having that event come to town in the form of trade shows over the next few years.

We figure between the three of us and the Suite we can house about 10 people. Does that help?

6 comments

  • jamie from thriceallamerican February 27, 2008

    Maybe if they’d actually made Marriott built something more fitting for an urban environment next to a convention center…not only less ugly, but taller.

    We recently took a trip up to Vancouver, B.C., and the hotel we stayed in was downtown, but in outside of the main financial districts where the tall buildings are (we were in Davie Village, for anyone familiar). Yet our hotel was, I believe, taller than any of the buildings in Tacoma.

    I realize that the first problem is finding a developer, but it seems like building up is the clear solution…

  • Erik B. February 27, 2008

    The Winthrop has had some problems relocating residents, and despite $2 million from the City, is currently trying to close a funding gap.

    The Winthrop Hotel is two blocks away and is a central iconic historic building in Tacoma which is right on the LINK. The efforts to restore it need to be re-doubled and more proactive.

  • Tressie February 27, 2008

    all I can say is thank goodness some visionary chose Greater Tacoma…blah blah Center…..back in the old pre-condo daze it might have been just The Tacoma…blah blah…Center…so, a little suggestive signage,eh? Clever!
    If there are no rooms at the inns downtown, perhaps Black Bart will rent out his empty cars …I mean Downtown Tacoma’s Last Used Car Lot is just a block or 2 from a Link stop!
    Let’s be resourceful people…and think outside the beige box …and look to non-traditional short-term housing…..Perhaps Tacoma could get a screaming deal on those FEMA trailers and park ‘em under the freeway ramps in the Dome District…once again only a few steps from a Link Stop!!!

  • CA February 27, 2008

    I think the brewery site is our best chance for a new hotel in the near future. Prium hasnt even begun work on the buildings to house Winthrop transplants, and Im not convinced the developer on the Foss is truly committed to breaking ground any time soon. As long as the re-do doesnt look anything like those pictures above, I’d say the Heidelberg site is a good start.

  • DavidS February 27, 2008

    As I recall, the site to the south of the GTCTC has always been slated for some type of expansion. While I don’t remember the details, that’s why there’s that ugly blank wall on the south side of the building. Whatever goes in there will have better views than the convention center due to the plaza & LINK. Now would be a great time for someone to fill in that missing tooth in the GTCTC smile with something other than surface parking.

  • drizell February 27, 2008

    I believe the original intent was to expand the Convention Center itself once enough money had been made and the GTCTC had become profitable. It’s the old adage: start small and build upon your existing assets, rather than start big and have a huge empty building most of the time.

    As GTCTC starts to become more in demand, there will be a need for more space. Hopefully, the convention center will opt to incorporate other uses into the southern expansion, much like the convention center in Seattle has done with that 25-story office building.