The Seattle Times Writes About Tacoma's Economy, Past and Present...
This morning’s Seattle Times Business & Technology section featured an interesting article about the undulations in Tacoma’s economic development. The writer, Sanjay Bhatt, took the time to compare our City’s current recovery efforts to our historic relationships with business and boom times.
A number of Sound-area business voices are cited in a slightly disorienting array of vaguely pessimistic and openly optimistic commentary. The Center for Urban Waters, LeMay Museum, Shift Happens and other recent developments are also discussed – along with some interesting statistics on education, office vacancies, etc. You can read the article for yourself here – Tacoma Works to Recover from Economic Blows.
Filed under: General
35 comments
J Jordan March 22, 2011
It’s funny, I talked about Tacoma focusing on start-ups and non-profits rather than compete for a large, publicly-traded company, as a way to reinvigorate downtown. We’re not going to compete with Seattle, Bellevue and Portland so we must find our niche. Shift Happens is a strong, concerted effort to focus on what we have and to attract other small businesses to the downtown core. Now, if we could bulldoze the Mall…
W William B. March 23, 2011
Really? “Bulldoze the mall” is the prevailing whine of how to fix downtown? The Tacoma Mall was the first of its kind in WA state and has been bringing revenue into this city for over 20 years. Downtown has been the recipient of multiple studies and has been sucking “revival” funding for longer than that, yet the best Sh*t Happens can do is blame the mall (which has the kind of stores apparently despised by downtown, anyway)? No other community/business district has gotten the massive financial support, infrastructure and transportation improvements as downtown… yet look at how the smaller outlying neighborhoods are being creative and working with what they’ve got. Reading the Neighborhood Council minutes, it seems like South Tacoma is moving ahead of the rest of us not only in creating thinking but also in positive attitude.
J Jesse March 23, 2011
The mall has a clause in their lease that says to a proprietor that they cannot have another location within 3 miles. That means nothing at the current mall can duplicate itself downtown.
The mall is too close to downtown anyways. Downtown is one measly exit from the mall where there is free parking and plenty of it. The closest mall to DT Seattle is like seven miles away — or better known as A DIFFERENT MARKET. If Seattle was dumb enough to put a suburban style mall within one mile of it’s DT in the 60’s, it’d be dead too.
The mall is nearly 50 years old and cannot support all the stores that want to be in it. They should move out further, build a bigger better mall and a second mall in downtown Tacoma. Everyone would be better off for it.
Y You're Welcome March 23, 2011
This city is big enough to support the mall and a vibrant downtown. There are plenty of big box stores the mall doesn’t have (staples, tiffany, crate and barrel, pottery barn, williams and sonoma…) Moving the mall would be extremely costly and a huge waste of our natural resources, not to mention the thousands of jobs the mall creates for this city.
Once downtown has more people living in it, those stores will come. It all starts with a grocery store, wait and see.
B Brent March 23, 2011
To fix downtown Tacoma. Start with the heart. THE WINTHROP. If the building was remodeled and became world class it would change the ENTIRE downtown aesthetic!! (i.e Spokane,www.thedavenporthotel.com/ ) I feel strongly this would make Tacoma great.
Then fix the damn bridge so the port has EASY access to downtown for lunches, etc. People driving home can then stop at the NEW grocery store coming within the next year.
In regards to opposition, that surely comes with this, the people in Winthrop CAN be relocated in an area that is sentimental to their needs. (damn, JACKSON building, eyesore of the decade) We need to quit worrying about the people there to only end at a place with no ends. Move them out already and revitalize the city. In the end, a more successrul downtown will help all (home values, investment, activity, etc.)
The Times article even goes to state the lack of available hotel units.
T Tacoma Fan March 23, 2011
In Spokane has the Davenport Hotel.
It seems every time an issue about downtown comes up, we point to things in other cities. I am fine with that.
My question is, what have we done, or do we do that others would point to “ Look at Tacoma “?
S Snake March 23, 2011
“ Look at Tacoma “?
Well, we have the world famous, yes, world renowned Hotel Murano. Largest private car collection in the world in Lemay coming soon. Museum of glass. (which is due for a remodel I hear). Point Defiance Zoo. Could be a tourist playground in the future. Now, if only we could lose the “aroma of Tacoma” tag. That’s all the fire power naysayers have!
The Davenport is beautiful. How about an area like Westgate Mall? Yes, another “other city” concept, but you must look at what others have done to generate ideas.
The city leaders are not pro-active enough. We need some butts kicked!
Blow up that damn parking garage next to 9th and Pacific. That thing is hideous.
How about turning the California Bank (absolutely beautiful building) into the next Event Center!! That building has so much potential. Although would be burdensome to renovate.
L low bar March 23, 2011
tacoma: winning
C Cartoonists and Puppets United Against Billboard Monopoly March 24, 2011
Return of Frost Park Chalk Challenge Season 5? 6? I’ve lost count. See you on the pavement April 1st. Challenge artist Jeremy Greggory to a hand drawing contest… ?
A AreteTacoma March 24, 2011
Other cities point to Tacoma and say, “they sure picked a nice location.” I mean being on a pennisula on Puget Sound surrounded by dramatic bluffs overlooking an inland sea and two gorgeous mountian ranges, both within a couple hours of your front door. As far as I’m concerned our location is better than any city in the Northwest (well maybe in the USA, Vancouver is pretty awesome but you have to live with Canadians, so that brings it down a few points).
L low bar March 24, 2011
hahaha canadians were second after britain to join in kicking the ever living shit out of the nazis while america was still pussy footing the fuck around. fucking true grit. i got canadas back any day of the fucking week.
C CA March 24, 2011
It was my experience that Vancouverites were just as sanctimonious as Seattlites.
L low bar March 24, 2011
no i don’t think it’s a question of holier than thou, just cooler than thou. it’s my experience that they are more pharisaical at using adjuncts as well.
C CA March 24, 2011
I’ll stick with sanctimonious. They, like Seattlites, have a certain “my poop doesn’t stink” mentality about them. And on numerous occasions when I told them I’m from The States I was presented with a look of disgust, followed by the phrase, “oh, you guys are yanks?”
So be it. I like Tacoma.
L low bar March 24, 2011
well you got a point. its not like tacoma could ever claim it doesn’t stink. so its not a fair playing field.
C CA March 24, 2011
Touche!
R RR Anderson March 24, 2011
Tacoma stinks AND has billboards. You know who doesn’t stink? Downtown Seattle. That’s where all the presidents of Clear Channel Outdoor live. No stinking billboards allowed either!
L low bar March 24, 2011
down with the frasiers
M Mirror Dog March 24, 2011
@19 ~ How much are they paying for that view of the Alaskan Way viaduct? No wonder the background image is blurred out. The people shown in that website are photo-shopped clipart, or East Coast transplants who came via California… and why are they drinking a blush rose’ from champagne flutes? It’s probably two dollar pink Asti or (shudder) white zinfindel wine-wanna-be Kool-Aid (registered trademark here). They aren’t real Seattlites, and those aren’t the kind of people we want to attract to Tacoma.
J jamie from thriceallamerican March 25, 2011
Heh, the Fifteen Twenty-One place in Seattle is about a block from my office. At one point they had a sign up in the window bragging about homes “from the one millions”. Okay then… I’ll say this for it, it’s really convenient to the Deja Vu.
R RR Anderson March 25, 2011
they are not attracted to living here, they are attracted to hot yoga, drinking like morains and dumping a bunch of digital billboards on our working class neighborhoods. The Tacoma City Council will rubber stamp the billboard “compromise” law THE ENEMY WROTE FOR US unless we convince them otherwise.
R RR Anderson March 25, 2011
meet the brain that gave us CONSTITUTIONS MATTER.
S South Sound Sally March 25, 2011
How lucky for us! A Sara Palin spin-off from Anchorage, now amongst us in the lower NW. She loves all things Italian, has an unread book on her nightstand and secretly wants to be a shoe designer for “Sex in the City”. Yes, I want this person, with whom I have nothing in common, to force screaming advertisements (for products I don’t want) upon my neighborhood that she will never visit.
L low bar March 25, 2011
@ 21, 22 wtf is that real?? hahahahaha no way
L low bar March 25, 2011
honestly by the looks of the art direction in that volcano ad i have to say tacoma has bigger problems than just clear channel. holy crap where to start when even your alt weekly is the most uncool thing ever. i mean the whole point to alt is to actually be cool. fuck its over dudes. nice tags btw, on the flickr link that is. i think i am just going to exit through the gift shop after seeing that raging hipster with the fonzy jacket, indie beard and what no doubt is a fucking ipa in his hand. way to pigeon hole volcano, you are officially DEAD
J jamie from thriceallamerican March 25, 2011
whoawhoawhoa…nothing wrong with a good IPA there, hombre.
L low bar March 25, 2011
sorry. i’m just puzzled by the abundance of dominant samsquanch palette alleles in the local tacoma population that allow for the enjoyment of a beer that tastes like grass dusted with weed killer from the shoulders of interstate 5. but that’s what i like about life, its never shorted me any mysteries:P ipa’s are over, durango cactus juice is in
C Charlie W. March 25, 2011
Any billboards in Tacoma should only be near the mall, interstate and major roadways (like the eastern-commercial end of 6th Ave.), and should only be promoting local business, local events and local products (be it a local-brew IPA or hard lemonade).
C Charlie W. March 25, 2011
Signs should be coaxing people into our downtown and neighborhoods, but billboards should not be IN our downtown and our neighborhoods.
S seamus o'hooligan March 25, 2011
RR, Low bar et al.
You guys are such little bitches. Tacoma IS Tacoma, not to be compared to or wished to be somewhere else. Put your energy into getting rid of Digital BB’s first then you can cry about the MAN or IPA or whatever other stupid issue that’s on your mind.
R RR Anderson March 25, 2011
thank you zen master seamus
R RR Anderson March 25, 2011
also, Volcano IS technically Lakewood and the MAN in this case is a WOMAN and also Digital Billboards and the WOMAN are the same stupid issue.
L low bar March 25, 2011
hahaha thanks seamus for adding the voice to that fuck up wearing the leather jacket in the volcano bb. made my day hahaha
L low bar March 25, 2011
oh and seman toolshitigan, let me know when your reality comes out on dvd blue ray ahahahaha
Y You're Welcome March 26, 2011
Thank you Seamus. Sign the petition against digital BB’s at Valhalla!