Tacoma Spring Condo Tour April 19-20
As you probably know, the Tour of Urban Living typically visits our city’s condos each fall. Well, this year another event has been added to the calendar just in time for some spring impulse buying.
Several of the city’s condo developers have partnered with Bonneville Radio to produce a spring tour of Tacoma’s condos. The weekend event will be based out of the Convention Center, and feature van trips to various projects. Speakers will include Mayor Baarsma, Tricia Lecy-Davis, Benjii Bittle, Bob Levin, and many others. They will be talking about everything from the tax abatement to downtown life. Should be interesting… Plus, you know we love those condo tours. Always fun.
Details
April 19-20
10 am – 7 pm
Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center
Free!
Link to Tacoma Condo Tour 2008
Filed under: General
14 comments
D drizell April 14, 2008
The great thing about these tours is that they tend to bring actual buyers. Sure, there are lots of young people like myself that like to go on the tours. Of course, for people like me, we can only dream about actually being able to afford a condo sometime in the next 20 years. At the Tour of Urban Living, several octogenarians actually put the vacant units into contract.
It’s a bit disappointing to see developments like Reverie at Marcato and Granville still taking part in these tours. Those buildings have been complete for a long time and should have sold out by now. It’s definitely an indicator of what sells and what doesn’t.
E Erik B. April 14, 2008
Of course, for people like me, we can only dream about actually being able to afford a condo sometime in the next 20 years.
There quite a few cool ones in Tacoma in the 100k range drizell. Then the city offers help with the down payment. I bet you could easily afford one.
D drizell April 14, 2008
I know, I was just kidding. However, the least expensive of the new projects is about $200K. The first-floor units are now down to the $180s in a couple of these buildings.
J Jake April 15, 2008
It would be cool if they would include other properties, not just new ones. Oh well, such is life.
Why not make a flyer or brochure and hand them out outside the convention center?
I did that a few years back with a resale condo that wasn’t on the tour. We made up a few hundred brochures and a few of us went to different spots in downtown and handed them out to anyone that had Tour of Urban Living papers. We had someone up at the condo for the open house and offered free scratch tickets if people went up there. Someone that viewed it that day ended up buying it.
T tct2326 April 15, 2008
Good idea! Thanks Jake.
J Jake April 21, 2008
Just saw a preview for Komo4news at 11pm and it said something about condo developers giving away cars and they were in the McCarver Neighborhood in front of Bella View townhomes.
I was wondering why all those new cars have been sitting in the townhomes driveways.
Pretty interesting considering that development hasn’t really even advertised.
J Jake April 21, 2008
Oh and it might help if they finished tearing down the half torn down house the residents of the neighborhood have had to look at for over 6 months…
C crenshaw sepulveda April 21, 2008
Big flat screen TVs not enough incentive to buy these things. 10 year tax abatements not enough incentive. How about pricing them at levels that ordinary people can afford? For the love of Jebus, these are poorly constructed apartments with a few fancy accouterments, what is up with the absurd pricing? I can see it in Seattle, after all they are getting Seattle in the bargain, but this is Tacoma. Pricing it a little bit less than Seattle doesn’t make it seem like it is Seattle only cheaper. It is just another apartment without it being in Seattle.
How many times do I have to tell you people, we need for young people to be able to live in downtown. Seattle had that before their incredible boom downtown. The young will lay the foundation for a downtown that is worth caring about. The developers will just keep telling us this is around the corner, we are going through a Renaissance. Please, look at the buzz words these projects use. We ain’t there yet and I don’t believe the developers think we’ll ever be there. Revitalized, my ass.
C crenshaw sepulveda April 21, 2008
If only we could get Stephen Cysewski’s 1979 Tacoma back again and start all over. Thirty years of progress. I remember the downtown of 30 years ago. It was far more lively than it is today. How many incredible building have been torn down? How many businesses long gone? Stephen’s pictures paint a bleak portrait of that time but I remember better. Sure we had a skid row, sure we had a mission downtown, but it still worked better then than it does now. I’ll give you the UWT. It is something that that has made a difference. But what does the UWT bring to the table? Young people. Now we need to keep them here. What is Tacoma doing to keep them here? 350k “work force” townhouses. 800 a month 400 square foot studio apts. Yeah, downtown will be teaming with the young people we need with incentives like these.
M Mofo from the Hood April 21, 2008
I think C.S. @9 & 11 notes two important terms, foundation and workforce, that could serve to define Tacoma and distinguish it from any other city.
Both terms could be expanded beyond the following definitions.
I would use the term foundation to define the geographical context of Tacoma and the opportunities that this location offers.
I would use the term workforce to define the sector of the population that is a stabilizing force because of its status in terms of age, family obligations, and general personal temperment in terms of orderly conduct.
As these terms are expanded and a map develops of Tacoma as it is, then the future practical needs of Tacoma might be more realistically mapped.
B billb April 21, 2008
re crenshaw @ 11
I remember the downtown 30 years ago. It’s hard to compare. St. Regis ran the pulp mill; the smell was disgusting. Tacoma Plywood was adjacent to Albers Mill. The whole shift could walk across the tracks to the Pump Room for lunch. No 705 in those days. Sears was at Commerce & 13 – no Cornerstone, no Financial Center,no Murano, no Dome. No 509 bridge, but the 15th St bridge was still in if you the guts. Scoffields loaded out conceter from a cement plant on the Esplanade site. Chas Schwab stored used tires in the old power house that’s now the UW library. Union Station belonged to the pigeons, the Pantages was a mess. The symphony orchestra was all-volunteer, but TAG was doing well. The 11th corridor was intact across the tideflats and the Hylebos bridge worked. The Council ran the City directly – no Manager.(How about his 50% reduction in cime proposal?) George Janovich ran the County. 30 years ago was a different era. I’m with Erik; In fact, we might be 42% there.
E Erik B. April 21, 2008
30 years ago was a different era. I’m with Erik; In fact, we might be 42% there.
With an interactive graphical map of the city, it would be interesting to color code the areas of downtown which are functioning and which ones are dead and vacant.
Then we could have a graphic representation and an end percentage to let us know where Tacoma actually is.
From all I have gathered from articles, photographs, records and personal accounts, the late 1970s and early 1980s was pretty much the low point in downtown Tacoma’s history.
I I'm for Change (for tacoma) April 21, 2008
Did anyone attend the tour or see any of the properties?
I heard the Bremerton condo auction prices were pretty low.
I was out of town and missed it all.
A altered chords April 22, 2008
Change @ 15:
I saw the Walker building at 6th and St. Helens.
It is spectacular!
Check it out. See Natalie or Robin for a tour. Tell them the Piano Player sent you.