Vin Grotto Could Be Yours...
Kris Blondin opened her cafe and wine bar, Vin Grotto, in late 2003. It’s a cool space in the Rowland Building with exposed brick and tall ceilings – plus we’ve always loved the food. Over the last few years, we’ve used Vin Grotto for our wine purchases and to cater our events. Since 2003, the neighborhood has seen tremendous changes with new restaurants, small businesses, and more … people.
So, it is with mixed feelings that we now hear that Kris has decided it is time to sell. After several years of hard work, she wants to spend more time with her family and put her energies… elsewhere. Here’s an opportunity for somebody to take the business and see where it can go next. Are you interested?
Turnkey business! Ready to go! Be part of downtown Tacoma’s revitalization!
Link to Vin Grotto
Listed with Steele Development Corp
53 comments
E Erik S November 27, 2007
My wish list:
1. Sound Transit expands Route 594 service to include a “late” bus that leaves Seattle at 12:30 or, better still, 1:15. On Fridays and Saturdays, at least.
2. Hell’s Kitchen gets some compeition from a new (downtown?) music venue focused on music that is neither metal nor jazz/blues.
3. A local coffee shop or bookstore adds a newstand. I never go to Borders again.
4. Spud Goodman returns to production of a bi-weekly public access broadcast or web tv show. I’m not particular about the medium. (Good idea, RR.)
5. Pass. I don’t want to get too greedy. I’ll be happy with the four above.
I didn’t say anything about the real estate market because I didn’t want get the RE set mad at me again.
E Erik S November 27, 2007
Can I change mine? I’d gladly trade the petty newstand wish for Tennent’s Lager on tap, preferably at Doyle’s. Somebody has got to start importing that stuff.
W wes November 27, 2007
to Erik S: … your #2 & 3 wishes are already in the works.
G grubedoo November 27, 2007
Please, please, please … a Packers bar in downtown Tacoma …
C Christy November 27, 2007
1. I’m just a girl from Oakland who wishes that old commercial strip on Center street would be upgraded so viable businesses would move back in. Especially a sweet pub with cider on tap, that I could stumble home from.
2. Speaking of Oakland/Madrona, I wish someone would actually start updating the website for our business district. http://www.stadiumbusinessdistrict.com/districthome.asp?district=5 Lame! Lame! Lame!
3. Oh please, oh please never let The Spar remove Baby Cham from the tap again.
4. I wish that all of the spaces in Tacoma, where the road stops at a light with 2 lanes and goes down to one lane once you pass through the light; you know what I’m talking about, the drag strips (all along Tyler especially). I wish the city would make that second lane a turn only.
4. I’d also like to see the “drag strip” lane removed from the Hwy16 to the N-bound I5 merge. The right lane that jerks get into to blow by everyone waiting in the left lane, then the last minute merge screws up traffic for all of us.
And that is all.
M M November 27, 2007
1. A good beer shop/bar that sold bottles more exotic than Moose Drool (Tennent’s Lager sounds interesting…)
2. Tacoma should get some balls and build a lightrail system to connect up all the business districts to downtown (screw waiting until 2030 for Sound Transit). Bar hopping via trolley sounds pretty appealing…
3. Monitor the parking meters until 9 PM in the downtown core (at least around UW-Tacoma). Sadly, I know people who don’t like eating at all the great downtown restuarants because they are fighting with students for parking and having trouble finding spots. One hour time limits would fix that, or see #2 above, which would help too…
M michael g. November 27, 2007
If a newsstand and indie rock venue are already in the works (that’s great news!) how about…
-A revamped bike/pedestrian path between downtown and Old Town
-A daylighted Puget Creek from Puget Park to Ruston Way, with a path along it
-A good restaurant in the abandoned mini-mart at Division & M
-The opening of the Tacoma Food Coop
-Better ST Express service to/from Seattle, including tighter HOV requirements during rush hour and late night buses at least as late as Erik S. suggested.
M MattMike November 27, 2007
1) Running the link past 2am Thursday, Friday, and Saturday even if no one rides on it at first – keeping downtown open even later and preventing all those drunks from driving home.
2) And then of course expanding the Link’s route up 6th ave, over to 19th (past Cheney), all the way to TCC, along Pearl, then back down 21st to Procter, over to UPS, then down Ist to Stadium, down St. Helens, meeting up with it’s current end station.
Just imagine the bar hopping…I don’t know whether it would be epic, legendary, or glorious. You decide.
R RR Anderson November 27, 2007
Often in that penumbra between sleep and total information awareness (T.I.A.) I attempt to project my mind back in time to influence leaders of tacoma’s past into keeping the trolley car system intact.
I would gladly volunteer to ‘quantum leap’ back to make this a reality.
R rich November 27, 2007
World Peace……just kidding…let’s get real here……..hmmm, I’ll have to give it some thought and get back to you…..though, Class A commercial and some REAL retail downtown in a nice 40 story building would be pretty cool…….ok, I’ll put some effort into this one….standbye….
R rich November 27, 2007
ok, one last little addition to my previous message…….some new and improved christmas decorations for downtown………would be a GREAT start……
J johnschoppert November 27, 2007
Wes, what’s up? You tease . …
It will never happen, not in my lifetime, but, I’d like to see an across the board government financed election that lasts 6 months, like England’s. The current state of affairs just sucks.
And I don’t care which side your on.
Which reminds me, Frank Zappa said, “If you want to make a difference, run for mayor in a small town.” I wish someone who could make a difference would run for mayor here. Yeah, Neil G in Portland turned out to be a jerk, but he turned federal money into a kick ass downtown. Who here is going to turn Sound Transit money into a kick ass Tacoma?
E Erik B. November 27, 2007
So I ask you. It’s nearly December and 2008 is almost here. What’s your top issue?
For Tacoma to adopt an urban building code so it can start to function like a city rather than the suburban one it has now.
M Mofo from the Hood November 28, 2007
I’m totally onboard with expanding the Link route.
First stop would be a local chop shop to trick out the bodywork and refine it into the shape of a stretch Hummer. For the paint scheme I’d go total dull finish local gang grafitti accented with bullet holes and ultra tint diamond shaped windows. The wheels gotta be reworked to 20” chrome spinners with gangsta whitewalls to complement the neon blue ground effects. And then most definitely I’d refit the hydraulics so that you could cruise posed in totally wack angles, or just sedate jacked in the front and way low in back. And then when it’s parked you can set that sucka so low to the ground that the wheels don’t even show and you couldn’t even pass a hard pack of Marlboro’s under the coachworks. Now here’s the overfine addition—-one coach dedicated as a fully stocked dimly lit lounge enclosed in Tijuana roll and tuck soft leather booths. Waitresses galore—-bonita latinas loca!
Now we’re ready for some serious night train road trippin’. From downtown I’d slam it up 11th ST hill 50+ mph onto a banked left at K Way then down to south 19th, hard right to Wilkeson ST then hard left, slam it down W hill to a banked right turn through the middle of the Atlas Foundry shed and then out onto Center ST to Oakland. For the finale, crosstown it to 6th Ave for a mainline full tilt audio-visual opium den liquid refreshment sensory overload.
M Mofo from the Hood November 28, 2007
Oh yeah. One more thing. The sound system—-High Fidelity.
J jeffea November 28, 2007
Tacoma must put a toll on I-5 with all funds going to the people’s welfare.
D drizell November 28, 2007
Top issue: Making sure that projects that are granted multifamily tax exemptions actually get built. For too long, the City Council has had to deal with these and elevated the hopes of Tacomans, only to find out that numerous projects have been canceled. Dreams of grocery stores and mixed use development will only come to fruition if the residential population receives a huge boost, especially in the neighborhood centers and in/near the downtown area. And let’s make sure these new residential projects are somewhat attractive and not representative of a developer trying to make a quick buck.
M MG November 28, 2007
I want to expand the Link to McKinley and Lincoln neighborhoods. It could cruise down 38th, past the mall, over to Union, and on and on and on.
E Erik S November 28, 2007
Wes: I’m trying to play it cool and not get my hopes built up too much, but that is great news. Thanks.
Christy: I don’t live in Oakland but I was down there just this weekend and couldn’t help thinking (not for the first time) about how many potential that area has. I get the same feeling along the main stretch of S 38th in the Lincoln area. Lincoln is currently much more functional, though.
Streetcar/Link boosters: If we put aside my personal interests (mainly the ST night bus service) I think that an expanded Link system has the most potential to make a difference in Tacoma. Light rail isn’t really anything special from a transportation standpoint but it can shine as a tool to encourage development. A McKinley-downtown route would be great. Bonus points if the north end is expanded a little bit up to Stadium or along the S edge of Wright Park to 6th/Sprague/Division.
E Elliot November 28, 2007
1. A bike lane down 6th, or 12th, or any other major East-West street.
2. Tacoma drivers to stop being jerks to bikes. I almost got hit twice downtown today on my way to the bus by cars pulling out in front of me. This town has some of the most aggressive and oblivious drivers I’ve ever seen.
3. Getting rid of all the parking lots downtown that create dead spots in retail space. They kill the walkability of the area.
4. Tacoma coffee shops to figure out how to stay open past 9 or 10. It’s silly how early this town closes.
5. More great discussion with all of you on this site.
D Derek staff November 28, 2007
With all this bicycle talk how about one thing…
1. A comprehensive bicycle plan
Then we can avoid the one street at a time battle that seems to be going on now when it comes to bike lane planning and bike commuter consideration.
B Broadway resident November 28, 2007
O.K., I’ll take comment #23. I’m glad there are people passionate about all these specific issues listed above. But for me, frankly, the same things will be on my mind day-to-day in 2008 as was in previous years. Without going into details, my list starts with crime and schools. Kind of boring I know, but that’s what continues to matter to me and my family every single day, every year. Oh, more good employment inside the city would be nice.
M morgan November 28, 2007
- A daylighted Puget Creek from Puget Park to Ruston Way, with a path along it
I second this and add:
Daylight some springs and creeks downtown!
Imagine downtown with water flowing through it. Although it’s probably polluted, it might be good for people to see. It could even be a good way to monitor cleanup progress!
- A good restaurant in the abandoned mini-mart at Division & M
I spoke with the owners a couple years ago about this. First, they live in the house connected to the store. Second, they have some strange dream that the state will give them a liquor license back.
G gritcitygirl November 28, 2007
my wish list: * new elevator music for TV Tacoma. * the streetcar system. * a restored luzon and elks lodge.
E Elliot November 28, 2007
A comprehensive bike plan is a great idea, and well needed. However, I don’t want to wait through years of committee meetings to get a simple white line painted down 6th which should clearly exist. I’m all for planning and doing things wisely, but I’d also like immediate action on obvious safety issues.
D Derek staff November 28, 2007
However, I don’t want to wait through years of committee meetings to get a simple white line painted down 6th which should clearly exist.
1 Bike
1 Bob Trailer w/ Elliott
1 bucket of paint
1 paintbrush
Pedal pedal pedal
Bike Lanes!
T TacomaSteve November 28, 2007
Echoing the comment about drizell, condos taking advantage of tax relief need to be built, but also have conditions where living, union wages are required. Tacoma is both a working class and educated city, and that is what makes it vibrant. Losing livable wage jobs only lines the pockets of developers and gives tax credits to those who don’t really need them.
Also, create growth limits on commercial building sizes so as to minimize big box stores and create the growth of independent, creative businesses.
Oh yeah, a bike master plan would be cool, too.
J James M November 28, 2007
I’d like to see some affordable 500 sf studio apartments/condos downtown, preferably close to UWT. I guess that means I want the insane parking requirements for new development revised……
J Jake November 29, 2007
James,
Are these the affordable condos you are looking for??
Above UWT:
$131,950 1bd 1bth 545 sqft – Fully remodeled
$144,950 1bd 1bth 540 sqft – Fully Remodeled w/ View
$169,995 2bd 1bth 1,090 sqft – Tax exemeption until 2014
$177,000 2 bd 1 bth 725 sqft – View
ALL of the above units fall into the city Down Payment Assistance area. Up to $20k loan with no payments or interest for 20 years.
Stadium:
$159,950 Studio – Remodeled classic brick building
$139,950 1bd 1bth 466 sqft – Fully Remodeled
C Crenshaw Sepulveda November 29, 2007
Jake, I will chide you from time to time, but the above is a respectable list. Thanks for digging these listings up. I’m thinking that you represent the real estate profession quite well and I see within you a deep sense of ethics, professionalism, and the ability to go the extra mile, not only for your clients but for Tacoma and e133 as well. Thanks for all the research you have provided e133, I get the sense that this is more than just marketing for you.
E Erik S November 29, 2007
James, I’d love to see more good, affordable studio apartments available downtown, but I’ve never been swayed by the idea of studio condos. They seem most suitable as second homes/private hotels for ultra-commuters and to help developers advertise low starting prices and/or meet poorly-designed affordability requirements.
There’s nothing wrong with living in a studio, of course, I just don’t see how residents benefit from signing long-term financial obligations tying them to living spaces with little room to expand if circumstances change. In periods of unnatural appreciation it works, otherwise, I don’t see the point.
Nothing against the listings you found, Jake. Looks like you did a fine job searching out the most affordable units about. I like the inclustion of a couple of 2BR units.
M morgan November 29, 2007
Besides streetcars…
I would like to see more awareness of our area’s rich history. For starters, I propose a full-scale monument be built to commemorate the Asarco smoke stack. Is that too much to ask for?
E Erik S November 29, 2007
I believe that MultiCare was working on that not to long ago, Morgan.
D David K November 29, 2007
I love wishing…
Streetcars – By far the best way to stimulate development and increase consumers. Connect the main neighborhoods (poor and rich) with the main retail locations (poor and rich)!
Bikelanes – I get yelled at for riding in the street completely legally while going the exact speed limit – once even by a cop. Give us some dedicated bike lanes that are painted solid yellow or white to scare cars from parking in them. Again, connect the neighborhoods with the retail and the transportation.
Bike Parking – I’m getting used to those times when I have to search a quarter mile radius of my destination for a place to lock up my bikes. Want to increase pedestrians? If you’re gong to require parking, require bike-locking locations too.
Jobs – Holy cow, I’ve been trying to find a decent video or graphic design job since the summer. How bout a job mates? I hate hate commuting to Seattle! I want to be a Tacoman!
K Kristin November 29, 2007
Mo Fo Light Rail Expansion. Agree. Your next novel should be about “Idealism in Tacoma” If I did not have a child I would get into your hip hop scheme. :) Bravo.
P Phil November 29, 2007
Top ’08 wish list:
Water Fire, Tacoma?
www.waterfire.org
C Crenshaw Sepulveda November 30, 2007
I’d imagine that studio condos would be a swell idea if one could find some life outside the condo without too much trouble. Some of the studios in Tacoma’s classic building are quite large, the old Walker comes to mind. When I lived there there wasn’t that much going on outside the building, and there probably won’t be enough going on in the neighborhood for a long time. Some months ago I saw a janitor’s closet in a building in London sold as a condo, if I recall it was like 7 feet by 11 feet and was going for over 200k. It was pretty much that, an unrefurbished janitor’s closet. The rationale for selling it was the demand for the neighborhood and the sellers figured that regardless of the space one had it the neighborhood they wouldn’t be spending that much time in the space. Tiny condos can work in New York, London, Seattle, and a good many other places. Tacoma is not one of them. You need to have the neighborhood to make the small space livable. What I see in Tacoma is a yearning by many for neighborhoods they’d find in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, etc. What I don’t see is the appreciation of the process of achieving those kinds of neighborhoods. Part of it is natural evolution. Part of it is appropriate design. Part of it is the mix of uses. A big part of it is having spaces that are desirable to young people and artistic people. Take the wrong approach and you have the suburb version of an urban neighborhood. The suburb version of the urban is just as unappealing as the original idea of the suburb. For something truly disturbing check out Dupont.
M Mofo from the Hood November 30, 2007
Kristin @37
I’ll consider my top issue for 2008 as writing that novel if you can tell me the national motto.
D Dawn Lucien November 30, 2007
Save Our Bridge!!! The Murray Morgan Bridge must be saved from destruction by the Department of Transportation. Please join SOB in this important effort and let your voice be heard.
C Crenshaw Sepulveda November 30, 2007
Maybe the Murray Morgan can be repurposed as an upscale trailer park where people can buy spaces to park nice Airstreams and enjoy the view of the waterway from this unique vantage point. I suspect the bridge could hold the weight of a couple dozen airstreams on little plots, no vehicular traffic and the bridge can live. I’m not certain we can get the State or any entity to pay for the upgrading of our beloved bridge. I’d love to see the Murray Morgan continue to be a useful presence in Tacoma.
J James M November 30, 2007
Crenshaw:
“I’d imagine that studio condos would be a swell idea if one could find some life outside the condo without too much trouble…You need to have the neighborhood to make the small space livable…What I don’t see is the appreciation of the process of achieving those kinds of neighborhoods.”
Which came first, the neighborhood or the people? Definitely a great question, and I think the presence of UWT offers a compelling answer. UWB’s relative lack of success combined with UWS’ limited capacity ensures UWT a steady stream of students seeking affordable public higher education. Many of these future students won’t come from a commutable location, and they’ll need a place to live. I think 500 sf condos/apartments offer those students a place to sleep, while a full-time courseload coupled with the part-time job so many students (especially at UWT) hold nowadays will take care of those students’ “living time.” If not, they can fall back on the roomy University facilities nearby (gym, computer labs, rec center, pool tables, big screens, game consoles, etc.), the active student life on campus, or any of the existing businesses that cater to the current commuter students. If all else fails, there’s a Link to other areas or the city’s transportation hub, from which Seattle is accessible late into the night since ST will have granted Erik’s wish for for a late bus : ) (I second!)
Maybe this wouldn’t work, but it would be great to see developers and the city further capitalize on UWT as a potential engine for downtown revitalization.
K Kristin November 30, 2007
Mo Fo Expand Light Rail:
Your question is enormous. Confess I thought all day and still, I am stumped. Therein lies the answer. Stumping. Came up with:
a. Still Free After All These Years (because I am proud):
b. Land of Opportunity: (does not quite cut it with racial and paranoia in immigration reform these days)
c. America: Corporate Rule. (too depressing and defeatist):
And so finally decided, sadly, upon:
d. America: Divided we Thrive. (which in itself states: freedom of thought, melting pot, thriving amidst diversity, . . . )
M Mofo from the Hood December 1, 2007
Kristin, you might want to give up the navel gazing under a glass pyramid.
C CJ December 1, 2007
I wish for more diversified businesses moving to Tacoma. More job opportunities for the masses.
The glass that Tacoma looks through to be half full instead of half empty.
The Tacoma School district goes to control issue rehab and the child truly will come first and not the numbers.
Transit for everyone.
The new increase in property taxes to be justified or rectified before 2009.
Of course more retail to the down town area.
R rich December 2, 2007
Limit the size of commercial developement in downtown!!!!!!! are you smokin crack????? seriously cut down the amount of koolaid your drinking….that’s just plain stupid in downtown to LIMIT the size in the center, the core…..come on…….this is the whole problem with Tacoma…the lack of allowing size to come to downtown…..and the big boys that bring in the big money to support the tax base to provide tax revenues for all of these 2008 wishes…………arrrrgggg………limit the size….i’m pulling my hair out here……….what the heck is that sort of thinking…………aorigjt;lasdfng;lnaglansdl;gnsda;lgndsal;gnlsdanglsdangldsnfaglnsadlgnasdlgnlas…..ok, I’m done…..
R rich December 2, 2007
limit the size!!!!!!!!………..limit the size!!!!!!!…….WHAT?????????? Core??? Downtown???? what?????????????????…………ok, my wish for 2008 is that people will quit smokin crack about downtown……..and cut down the koolaid everyone is drinking……..so we can become a CITY and leave our history of being a TOWN in the past…………..
R rich December 2, 2007
we can only hope for some big box downtown…..you want coffee shops open past 9, well that’s what it takes……..everything is connected people…if we continue to want to limit our retail to small time local’s who go out of business every 2 years and limit our class a space for compaines to move here….we are sealing our destiny……..I know I keep saying the same thing over and over and over and over again….but…….BIG BOX RETAIL+CLASS A HIGH RISE=VIBERANT DOWNTOWN……get over this mom and pop retail for a bit…most will not survive until some known retail arrives downtown to get people on feet during all hours and all days…..
C CJ December 2, 2007
Which comment are you ranting about? I must have past over that one.
C Crenshaw Sepulveda December 2, 2007
Class A, big box, I’m smelling COTW here for rich. Coffee shops that stay open past nine is something I would want for myself, but I realize this is a snoozy kind of town. Just because me and a couple of my friends want some coffee shop to stay open last isn’t going to make it happen. We need a culture of the night here. I’m starting to think that 24 hour cities are a thing of the past or even myths. I’ve seen them, lived in them, but it could have been a dream. Even my old haunts from the past are not open late anymore.
R rich December 2, 2007
hmmm, I believe it was post 29 my rant was started by………
C Crenshaw Sepulveda December 2, 2007
rich, I always like a good rant. In a perfect world we would have your class A office space, loads of it and 100 percent rented. Jobs would abound, retail would thrive, Tacoma would become the true city of destiny it deserves to be.
The problem is no one has the nerve to do such a thing with the slim hope of “if you build it they will come”. In the wild penguins will congregate at the edge of an ice floe. They’ll all stand up there looking down at the water, getting hungrier and hungrier all the while. The penguins fear the leopard seals, the leopard seals find penguins particularly tasty. After a while hunger will get the better of a penguin and he’ll kick one of his brethren off the ice floe and into the water. If the unlucky penguin swims off unmolested by the unseen leopard seal the rest of the penguins will dive in. The leopard seals haven’t caught on. The trick works every time. All Tacoma needs is a penguin we can kick off the ice floe and see if he gets eaten by the seal.
R rich December 2, 2007
Cren, did you just finish watching “Happy Feet”…..lol….actually great analogy…….your right…..if only we could find that person…..
C CJ December 2, 2007
Priums project is smelling of penguin to me. How long do they wait for the Seal to circle or do they just keep kicking one of their own in till the seal is full and leaves. I’m looking for the happy ending.
Tacomasteve please take a poll of the homeowners in CitySteps, Gas Lamp, McCarver Village and all the other tax abated projects and let them tell you how much they utilized the abatement to even be able to afford a home. Most of those homeowners were able to buy $45,000. more in value than those of us who pay full taxes. These are the real people who benefit.