May 29, 2014 · Exit133

McMenamins News for Bothell, Not So Much for Tacoma

In the category of no news is... no news, The News Tribune has a brief article reconfirming that there is still no news on the McMenamins Elks Project in Tacoma.

The TNT story was sparked by a Seattle Times story about progress toward funding the McMenamins project to remodel a school in Bothell. On the McMenamins to-do list that project comes before the Tacoma one.

The TNT does suggest that we may hear more in the next couple months on the Tacoma Elks project, and that both crowd-funding and the EB-5 foreign investor program (the program that would a new hotel next to Tacoma's Convention Center). We're not holding our breath, but we're hopeful.

Filed under: Elsewhere, Tacoma Landmarks, McMenamins Elks Project, Elks Lodge

6 comments

JDHasty May 29, 2014

The time to get in on the "brew pub" shtick has evaporated. There will be no private sector investment and any "investment" of public monies should be recognized for what they are, a transfer from the public treasury to a private enterprise. Politicians are honest to God dorks and are not good at recognizing trends until well after the opportunity to invest is long gone. Neither are bureaucrats and any public monies sent in this direction may as well be shoved down a rat hole. The taxpaying citizens of Tacoma/Pierce need to be vigilant in keeping an eye on any behind the scenes maneuvering that goes on with regards to this proposal.
Renee June 1, 2014

http://www.mcmenamins.com/ElksLodge So they've owned it since July of 2012, and have done nothing yet....except PAY property taxes and whatever other preliminary survey fee's. So, McMenamin's is losing money from this stagnation and good Tacomans who could be working in the construction phase and then the service phase are NOT WORKING. Thanks a lot Tacoma City Council. You REALLY have your constituents in mind here. ((sarcasm intended)).They are SO damned anti-business and our property taxes/sales taxes are unbelievable! I think we need to protest outside of the City of Tacoma building..
- JDHasty June 1, 2014
  
  Theme restaurants are a fickle business and this brew pub theme is way long in the tooth. The taxpayers better keep a watchful eye on the powers that be or they will be "investing" in a white elephant. The reason investing is in quotes is because what will transpire amounts to theft from the public treasury.
- Jesse June 3, 2014
  
  How is McMenamin's inability to get financing for this project the City Council's fault? Please explain. The city actually offered a parking garage when this project was coupled with a larger apartment complex in it's original plans. That's capital (against the financing) for a project that would bring decades of tourism and tax revenue and a nice ROI. McMenamins was, according to news articles, indifferent about it.
  - Laura Hanan June 6, 2014
    
    A performance clause by the city council would have at least insured that Tacoma would be done before Bothell
Terry June 2, 2014

I think a brewery downtown is a great idea! And we got one now.... http://www.pacificbrewingandmalting.com/ The guys from Oregon just lost out.