Seattle Association Pitches for Russell
The Biz Buzz is reporting that the Downtown Seattle Association is officially making a pitch to woo Russell Investments. What is the Downtown Seattle Association? Well …
Established in 1958, the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) is a membership organization that works to revitalize and develop Downtown Seattle into a thriving, world-class destination.
Huh. Russell has a lot of other things on their mind (new CEO, layoffs, changing market, etc) but its never a bad time for Seattle boosters to make their case.
Link to Biz Buzz
Filed under: General
22 comments
T Thorax O'Tool April 3, 2009
This again?
So tired of this drama. Russell, we’re not in high school anymore. Just make a decision and be done with it.
J jamie from thriceallamerican April 3, 2009
The “Downtown Seattle Association” is clearly a construct of the owners of the WaMu Tower, complete with fictional history. Because how else are they going to fill up all that office space?
J Jesse April 3, 2009
What Thorax said.
6 6ther April 3, 2009
Bull Crap!
Don’t just pick one.
Pick Tacoma!!
Do you seriously think we can afford to lose Russell right now?
If you think downtown is hurting today, wait til 1200 jobs leave town!
If Seattle has a task force then we need a better task force. If they have incentives then we need to match or beat those incentives- if for nothing else than to up the ante and make another city pay out their “BEHINDS” to land Russell!
Now is no time to get complacent.
Right now is when you step it up and figure out what they need in order to stay in town.
Every single merchant in downtown Tacoma will take a direct hit if Russell leaves.
…Or did you have plans to lease the Russell building for your dominant global corporation Thorax?
T Thorax O'Tool April 3, 2009
Naturally, I’d like it if Russell stayed put. But with their 20% staff cuts this year, it’s more like 900 employees… but still. As much as I would like for Russell to stay at home, this drama is getting old and annoying. I wish they’d just decide and go on with their lives.
—————————————————————
As neat as the Russell Bldg is, I certainly do not plan to lease it for my dominant global corporation, the Matshuhaurah Fishworks, LTD.
I plan to build on the lot between Rainier Pacific and the Luzon. Part of my plans for further dominance require the construction of a tower 666 meters tall (evil has been using metric since 1800) and to have the north/south axis of the building precisely aligned with Canopus in the seventh house during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017 (which will be visible as a partial eclipse from the 253). The annular ring of light from the obscured sun will be channeled through the 100% pure quartzite focusing prism. The beam from this will reflect off of a planned tower I will be building in Seattle as well as one in Spokane. This will create a trigonal trifocal trifecta of natural solar laser radiation to mark of the territory to be staked by the Squid-God during it’s first coming.
It’s the only way Sinister Phase 3 of my Nefarious Plan A can properly appease the minions of Cthulu.
6 6ther April 3, 2009
You emit geek from every single pore in your body.
T Thorax O'Tool April 4, 2009
Thank you for the compliment!
It’s entirely true that I am like this in my real life, not just my interweb persona of TO’T.
It might also help explain things if I dredge up a juicy morsel from my sordid past.
As a child, I had a bit of an over-active imagination. Not the Calvin and Hobbes level of overactivity, but still requiring parent-teacher conferences all the way into 1st grade.
I’m fortunate enough that a decade and a half of education didn’t stomp all of it out of me.
B broadweezy April 4, 2009
I wouldn’t quite fret over this. Even if there would be cheaper office space in Seattle at this point in time, the incentives for Russel to move up there have diminished. Particularly with the delayed funding status of the Mercer Two-Way project, and the hovering reality of tearing down the Viaduct. Whichever one finds funding first, the construction traffic/congestion impacts throughout downtown Seattle are far more than enough to keep any new company from moving in any time soon. I would think that at this point in time, and even for the next ten years, Russell’s locational future is best secured in Tacoma, given the almost-moot costs of construction financing for any new building (say for the Federal Way option), and the City of Tacoma has offered various tax/property incentives to keep Russell. But if any construction financiers or operation management experts are out there, please pipe in.
J J. Cote April 4, 2009
Russell’s origional reasons for leaving,ie. the need for space, would seem to be moot since they have cut their office staff by laying off 20% of the workforce. Has anybody even asked them if they still plan on expanding?
Actually, I tend to agree #1 & #3. Make a decision and be done with it. I would be wary of investing with a company that has this hard of a time making a decision. If I had money to invest, that is.
A altered Chords April 4, 2009
Russel may have already made a decision. Just ‘cause a dude asks a girl out, it doesnt mean she doesn’t already have a boyfriend or husband (and of course, is commited to him)
I’m stopping now before I go way off on a tangent.
T Tacompton April 6, 2009
Seattle sucks.
T Thorax O'Tool April 7, 2009
@ 11
Yes, Seattle sucks.
As does Tacoma, Spokane, Olympia, Vancouver, Everett, Bellevue (especially).
But every city has it’s good qualities. In some cases, the good balance out the bad. As is with T-Town and Seattle. Sometimes it’s a close call either way as is with Vancouver and Everett. And sometimes there is no “soul to save” to even begin with as is with Bellevue.
I know intercity rivalries are an American Tradition and continually perpetuated, but we don’t always have to be down on our neighbors in the 206.
But the same thing applies to them, and it would be nice to see more love for the 253.
S Squid April 7, 2009
I agree sith TOT on this and will add that it mystifies me as to why Seattle acts as it does against Tacoma. As I have written here before, it’s like beating up on your little brother, or stealing his prom date — Bad behavior that is ultimately not his best interest.
Seattle should be trying to steer more development our way, not steal what little we have. The best thing that could happen to Seattle would be the development of a thriving regional economy from Everett to Tacoma. Recruiting Russell is greedy and foolish on their part.
A altered Chords April 7, 2009
“Let us begin by loving ourselves. If you don’t love yourself then no one else will”
Rev. Altered Chords
R RR Anderson April 7, 2009
I would make a comment about tacoma self love but then I would get my comment removed.
V Vlorg, the Mighty April 8, 2009
@ Squid: “Seattle should be trying to steer more development our way, not steal what little we have. The best thing that could happen to Seattle would be the development of a thriving regional economy from Everett to Tacoma. Recruiting Russell is greedy and foolish on their part.”
Uh no. They want to seed development in Seattle or Bellevue. What part of “Second Class Citizen” aren’t you getting? Just about everyon I’ve met in the Northern Hinterlands cannot resist the chance to take a stab at Tacoma at any given chance. It’s sad, sad, sad. If anything, they need another N30 to put some humility back into their consciousness.
J John Sherman April 8, 2009
Well, Tacoma wished for rails to join Seattle so Tacoma could become the after work slumber suburb of Downtown Seattle; consequently, more rapid transit might just make that choice simpler and a wish fulfillment for Russell Investments relocation move to work; for example, Sleep in Tacoma an work in Seattle and all thanks to Sound Transit, light rail, the ‘Taxpayers’, and mass-transit people moving systems of tomorrow.
Just maybe the former leased building occupied by Russel Investments, once empty and vacant; it follows , could be turned into rental apartment spaces for more people that want to live in Tacoma but work for wages in Seattle?
S Squid April 8, 2009
Vlorg, we agree on this. I just think it is ultimately short-sighted of them to grab all the marbles. Short-sighted and insecure. Having Tacoma be a second-class, potholed, dropout factory, SuperFund toxic waste site may make for good skits on Almost Live, but it’s bad for business. Theirs included.
V Vlorg, the Mighty April 8, 2009
It’s as short-sighted as it gets.
But no one in this state seems capable of seeing farther than 15 minuets into the future.
Olympia? Forget it. Those idiots we keep electing can’t figure out that a $9 BILLION hole means you should stop sending so much. Counties? They’re just as bad. Cities? Don’t even get me started. Even neighborhood councils can’t get their act straight.
Maybe it’s time we did a recall election on all levels… including our own bonehead city council. Who cares about waiting until November, let’s get those fools out now.
S Squid April 9, 2009
Vlorg, Don’t stop with elected officials…
T Thorax O'Tool April 10, 2009
Can I vote for Vlorg, the Mighty for Mayor?
Not only might s*it get done, but maybe we’ll get some respect finally. I can see the headlines of the papers across the state:
“Vlorg, the Mighty, elected Mayor“
A altered Chords April 10, 2009
California can keep Arnie – Tacoma has Vlog!