Positive Vibes for Elks Building?

Watching the Elks Building deteriorate over time has been an absolutely depressing part of Tacoma’s revitalization story.  We thought it would never end in a positive way.  First the owner of the building wanted to demolish it for a mega sized apartment/mixed use development.  Then the city talked of taking it under ‘eminent domain’ to build a megaplex movie theater.  Finally multiple developers came forward with a few ideas for the building, but the owner wouldn’t sell.  So now I read that Mr. Zimmerman, the man that called us a bunch of ‘hicks’ for living in Tacoma, has died. 

Maybe some rational minds will be able to come up with a way to acquire the building through normal legal means and turn it into something Tacoma needs.  Personally, I believe that the best thing we could do is get McMenamins into the building. 

Link: Owner's death could bring life to Elks building – The News Tribune