Skid Row Makeover - LA to Tacoma Comparisons
Jamie sent me this article and I couldn’t help but think of our current discussions on the Winthrop, the Miller Amendment, and downtown development in general. In the story, the author details the changes occuring on LA’s skid row. One building has an entrance for its high income loft-dwelling urban pioneers and a separate entrance for its lower floor $100 / week tenants. Hmm… Winthrop? Developers and residents are being lured into the area by tax breaks. The big issue is what to do with the city’s poorer residents. Remind us of anything? We aren’t exactly like LA, but some of the issues they’re trying to deal with are similar to ours. It’s an interesting read.
Link to Salon
Filed under: The Winthrop, Tacoma Landmarks
9 comments
L low bar March 23, 2011
bangin
D dolly varden March 24, 2011
Really great news — congratulations to the TFC! I hope everybody who was waiting to see if this whole thing was real before joining the co-op will now join and do their part to make the start-up successful.
J Jesse March 24, 2011
Nice! This will be big for that hood’. I was just in Port Townsend and checked theirs out. Really cool!
R Rick Jones March 24, 2011
Correction: The Tacoma Food Co-Op is a for-profit co-operative, not a non-profit. The members are the owners and vote on what to do with profits, elect the board, etc.
Mea culpa
P Praetorian March 24, 2011
I really hope that neighborhood market does lose alot of its selection. I shop there for filler items when I dont want to drive to the store… and of course beer. Im all for co-ops but I hope it does lose its small grocery store feel
P ProfesoraBecky April 1, 2011
Praetorian, you can always walk a 1/2 mile more to MSM Deli for a pretty good selection of drinkables…
D dolly varden April 1, 2011
@6: No joke. Tacoma’s problem is not a lack of access to beer. Beer is one of our civic strengths!
We have, however, lacked convenient access to healthy, affordable, organic food for years.
R Rick Jones April 1, 2011
Even as a Co-Op it will maintain an existing relationship with Unified Grocers, a supplier of basics like toilet paper,laundry detergent, etc.
So, in that respect, as far as being able to stop by and pick up everyday-type stuff, nothing will change.
A Altered-Chords April 1, 2011
They’d better have organic toilet paper.