Prium May Buy Winthrop
The mysterious buyer of the Winthrop has been revealed via press release:
TACOMA, WASH. – Tacoma-based developer Prium Companies is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement with AF Evans to purchase the 81-year-old 12-story Winthrop Hotel building at the corner of South 9th Street and Commerce in downtown Tacoma. Prium is a Tacoma-based real estate development conglomerate with projects in 26 cities statewide. “We have executed a purchase and sale agreement with AF Evans that we anticipate to close by the end of the year,” says Peter Ansara, Prium’s Chief Operating Officer. We are in the process of studying the potential for mixed use with a focus of developing a significant portion of the Winthrop to its original hotel state. Additionally, the study will include the potential of condominiums, relocation of the residents and historic preservation, Ansara also said.
We look forward to investigating the option of developing the historic Winthrop Hotel. It’s an important project that can be a catalyst for additional downtown Tacoma development in the heart of the theater and historic districts. If we succeed, we will make the City proud – of the Winthrop, its downtown, and its own civic values.”
About the Winthrop: The Winthrop Hotel, 773 Broadway, is in the Old City Hall Historic District and on the local and national historic registers. Built in 1925 as a luxury hotel, it was named after Northwest explorer Theodore Winthrop, but was originally called the “Citizens Hotel of Tacoma” because so many residents contributed to its financing through a local subscription drive as an effort to boost the local economy. The 11-story hotel was constructed with grand ballrooms and adopted a “coat-of-arms.” With a sense of civic pride, the Winthrop included intricate terra cotta and brickwork, much of which can still be seen today. The Winthrop served as a luxury hotel from 1925 to 1973, when it was converted to senior housing and later to low income housing. The City of Tacoma came close to shutting down and evacuating the building in December, 2005 after discovering multiple electrical violations.
Prium Companies is a privately owned real estate development and construction company headquartered in Tacoma. Founded in 1994, the company provides construction, commercial and residential development, and property management services for Pacific Northwest clients.
For more information, visit www.priumcompanies.com.
Filed under: Downtown Tacoma, Neighborhoods, Developments, The Winthrop, Tacoma Landmarks
4 comments
N Nick March 25, 2009
“like a gondola that would connect Dock Street to Downtown”
Please tell me that was a joke. I mean, it would be awesome, but someone seriously thought of that while our roads/bridges are decaying and our streetcar system still remains unbuilt?
But hey, a renaming Mt. Tahoma would be the coolest thing ever. Let’s just try to find a way to exclude King county from having a vote in the matter (considering that’s how it was switched to Rainier in the first place) ;-)
Mofo from the Hood March 25, 2009
Sink King County in a sea of financial ruin by forcing them to change their name to President County.
R Rachel March 28, 2009
When are we gonna vote to down size our at large council members to 2 people instead of 4? These folks do nothing more than talk, talk, talk and avoid paying property taxes and instead make the rest of us dummies pay for their condos and preservation homes. It is about time all of us people who pay excessive amounts of property taxes say NO more to all these initiatives, 3 cents here and 4 cents per thousand there, good grief I get zip for my taxes in this city. Only to see my TPD copy live in Gig Harbor and use my tax dollars to drive across the bridge every day. Why should any of us pay for someone’s gas to get to work. This is absurd.
J J. Cote March 29, 2009
Rachel@3: You covered about 27 different topics m’dear, but I agree with each and every gripe. Now, go to a Council meeting, stand up and tell THEM!
Imagine the brouhaha that we would cause, if each and every one of us that was sick of this crap, actually took an hour out of each Tuesday evening and went and told them so!
We may eventually all end up looking like that funny little guy from Lakewood that scares the bejeezus out of the Mayor, but hey, that could be fun! (It’s actually pretty amusing to watch Baarsma dodge and weave his way around the Chambers trying to avoid the poor old guy) We could all make an evening of it. Do the Council meeting, give ‘em hell then go to Katie Downs for pizza and brews.If about 45 of us showed up…