Short Takes - Dec. Week 1
Things worth mentioning this week that we didn’t quite get to…
A lot of rain fell everywhere else but somehow missed Tacoma.
The Tacoma Chamber is looking for funds to hire a full-time event coordinator for Tollefson Plaza. Link to The Biz Buzz
Pierce County Auditor Pat McCarthy announced she was running for County Executive. Currently in the race are Pat McCarthy, County Councilmember Calvin Goings, County Councilmember Shawn Bunney, and Tacoma City Councilmember Mike Lonergan.
A hearing on the status of the Heidelberg Brewery is set for Wednesday’s Landmark Commission meeting. Link to Kevin Freitas and Morgan’s post in the forum.
And we noticed a (rather odd) short piece in the New York Times magazine this weekend mentions the Tacoma Craigslist scam that happened earlier this year. Link to NYT
2 comments
J Jonathan December 9, 2007
As I read about the Tollefson Plaza developments, I faintly heard a hoarse, hushed voice whispering, “if you build it they will come.” But in light of past developments, Tacoma’s continued trust of this advice is highly disturbing.
These are my sentiments but I don’t feel that my lack of desire to spend time in the Plaza is alone. Whether we call it too loud, too busy, too open, too paved, uninteresting, or we highlight that it flows into the street and dead-ends in a wall of stairs, the barriers are apparent and the empty plaza speaks volumes with citizen consensus.
Something needs to be done, that is evident, but spending money to hire a coordinator seems outlandish and lacks creativity. Will we ever learn that we can’t simply throw money at something and call it fixed if we don’t pull people into the fold? Instead of facilitating input from large sponsors, might we have an town hall meeting and consult stakeholders in the place? If this is supposed to be a “living room” it would be prudent to consult those who might actually be “living” there.
Our city has a great opportunity to remedy this situation and to renew a shared “city of destiny” vision for Tollefson. With this potential the city can be inclusive or leave citizens by the wayside, but if the Chamber thinks that it can thrust a place upon us and call it good, Tollefson will likely continue, empty and forced, a perpetual reminder for every Tacoman who cruises down Pacific: You aren’t invited.
M Mofo from the Hood December 10, 2007
This idea of assigning a governor for Tollefson Plaza makes it sound like the place is a geo-strategic island like Hong Kong or Hawaii.
Which reminds me. Who has the palm tree concession in Tacoma? Both real and fake palm trees are really tacky almost anywhere above the equator.