New McMenamins Project Underway
Plans are moving ahead for the heavily anticipated Elks Temple restoration project that will turn the vacant building into a McMenamins venue.
A public meeting on the development held Wednesday evening in the Tacoma City Council chambers featured a presentation from developers Rick Moses Pleasants and part owner Mike McMenamin.
The News Tribune reported the biggest revelation being that there will not be a grocery store in the mixed use development. Yet, this means there could be a park. A park?
Construction is slated to begin next summer, with a preliminary end date of fall 2012.
“The beauty of this building is we’ve never done anything quite like this before, so it offers a huge pallet, a huge opportunity to go out there and have some fun,” McMenamin said.
More at the News Tribune
For more information, visit the project’s brand new and just launched website at ElksOnBroadway.com.
Filed under: McMenamins Elks Project
17 comments
N Nick December 9, 2010
Very exciting! If I’ve learned anything in this town, it’s to not get too excited until I start seeing concrete being poured (then again, 25th & Yakima breaks even that boundary). BUT, this is great news!
I’m not too surprised about the grocery store – I honestly think the only way it would happen is if a grocer was already planning to locate here and simply needed to find a location within which to open up shop.
I suppose the glass-half-full perspective would suggest that the added residential and hotel capacity will only improve the demographics for a grocery store in the future.
N Nick December 9, 2010
Are there any other renderings available online somewhere? I didn’t see any links on the TNT site or the project’s website.
J jamie from thriceallamerican December 9, 2010
What, no monkey puzzle?
E Erik B. December 9, 2010
Nice graphic!
R RR Anderson December 9, 2010
I see tables and chairs on the steps! sweet!
R Rick Jones December 9, 2010
@3 The monkey puzzle tree stays (alas).
Y You're Welcome December 9, 2010
Looks better without that monkey tail tree!
Stadium Thirftway is a nice grocery store and close enough. What we need is a grocery store to be located in the brewery district. Give ST a little space.
R RR Anderson December 9, 2010
Their cheeseburgers are the bomb. Can’t wait to eat one out there under the shade of a monkey puzzle tree.
C ChrisK December 9, 2010
Thriftway will be connected to the McMenamins project via streetcar to the Stadium District anyway, so it’s not a terrible loss.
I’m glad to see the project move forward. It’s been a long time in coming.
H halleyrebecca December 9, 2010
I too was wondering what these mysterious smells might be …
F frazzlebee December 9, 2010
almost like double posting, but how farmiliar are you with mcmenamins?
they have always kept the prior name of the place the take over. kennedy school was kennedy school before they took over. edgefield was edgefield before the took over. the olympic club was the olympic club before they took over. ergo, elks temple will be elks temple when they take over. it’s a fairly simple process.
S Steeno253 December 10, 2010
A park??? LAME!!!
J jamie from thriceallamerican December 10, 2010
low bar said:
Oh god, yes!
C Canevin_Guy December 10, 2010
While I could not be any more excited about this great re-use of the elks building I am very concerned about the ability of Grace and Rick to “pull off” their portion.
If the McMenamin’s can obtain financing for the Elks building BUT thier proforma is based upon the income from the hotel rooms located in the new building what happens to the whole project if final funding for only the new building can not be obtained. Even Grace and Rick had to admit that funding has not been “locked in”. With the high vacancy rates we have in Tacoma the Apartments are no doubt the hardest element to be able to secure funding.
I also find it odd that in the Private/Public joint venture Request for Proposal (RFP) document (PW09-0823F) published in December Paragraph 1.3 (page 1) reads “The mixed use devlopment WILL consist of a 25,000 square foot grocery store and 70 apartments to be built to compete on the HIGNH END of the rental market”. What I heard last night did not fit any of that requirement. No grocery Store, Not High End Apartments. Seems like the McMenamin’s and the City are risking the most in this whole deal
So what is the city getting and why was the project not readvertised? But I LOVE the Elks portion of teh project: it’s real!
H Headcase December 11, 2010
@22 – Low Bar
Put the Theater Pub in the 6th Ave Baptist Church that’s for sale. Someone can pick the building up for about $600K now. The chapel would work perfectly for the screening room – it even has a balcony for the projector.
You run the cinema – pub and I’ll build out apartments in the back half of the building.
J Jim C December 11, 2010
Only one thing in the News Trib article confused me: the stated decision, based on focus group input, to replace balconies with public space for amenities such as “dog showers”. That is the first time I have ever heard the noun “shower” modified by the word “dog”. (Can I also shower my cats, or my weasels?) I am very much looking forward to getting fat on their cheeseburgers and beer, however ;)
J Jake December 11, 2010
The public space over private balconies confused me. I don’t know anyone who would rather use a communities courtyard over having their own balcony. I know people who won’t even consider a place in Downtown Tacoma if it doesn’t have a private outdoor area.