What UWT Could Do For Downtown Retail
The plight of downtown Tacoma retailers is immensely difficult. People expect so much from them. They should have hours like the mall, prices like the mall, parking like the mall, but they should still be mom and pop stores selling local goods where the clerks know our names.
We expect a lot from these small businesses because in so many ways retail is how we define whether a neighborhood is “vibrant.” We expect late hours, especially. The restaurants downtown are open until 9:00 pm, why aren’t the stores? They’re open at the mall!
Of course, the stores at the mall are contractually obligated to be open until 9:00 pm, and they aren’t obligated to any hours downtown. Which begs the question, should they be?
One of the many reasons people go to the mall is because they know they store they are looking for—plus all its neighbors—is going to be open. Could you imagine going to the Mall at 10:30 am or 6:00 pm and finding that 2/3 of the stores are closed? Of course not. Every mall requires some form of contractual hours.
And they have to. Because malls aren’t natural. Malls are artificially created retail centers and in order to get people to show up they have to be as standardized as possible. Tacoma still doesn’t have the urban population or the dense workforce that would support a more naturally formed retail center (like downtown Seattle). So while it may be anathema to some, creating a vibrant retail experience in downtown Tacoma is going to be somewhat artificial at the beginning (especially if we want to see shops open till 7:00 or 8:00, let alone 9:00 pm) and it just might take some drastic steps to get us there.
If I haven’t swayed you yet to thinking that required hours of operations would be good for downtown retail, think about this way: a store that fluctuates its closing time regularly will likely never get your business in the evening. If you can’t trust it to be open, it’s hard to choose whether you want to go there. A wonderful store with erratic hours will likely lose business to a sub-par store that religiously closes its door at the same time.
Downtown Tacoma is that great store with erratic hours, and it is losing business to sub-par choices because no urban district has adopted as a whole a set opening or closing time.
Of course, the real question here is, “Who exactly is going to be requiring minimum hours of operation from their retailers?” Most of downtown Tacoma’s retail spaces are owned by a whole bunch of different landlords. To make the idea effective, each of those landlords would have to mandate the same hours and coordinate their efforts together. And that just ain’t gonna to happen.
What we need is a district downtown where all the retail spaces are owned by a single landlord who can act as a retail developer, nurturing along the shops. A district where the developer could single-handedly create an evening retail experience that extends through dining hours. Where they could afford to let a space sit dark while they wait for a well-capitalized tenant instead of one who runs out of money six months after opening. Where they offer district-wide marketing efforts on a scale that only developers can afford. Where they would own not only the retail spaces but the parking, too, and could arrange an easy validation service that would allow shops and restaurants to validate parking for the customers.
Actually, we don’t have to dream. Tacoma already has a district like that: the Museum District at Union Station. And that dream developer is the University of Washington, Tacoma (UWT). Below is an aerial shot of the district. The buildings shaded purple are those owned by UWT that have retail/restaurant spaces (the light purple building is an empty building that will eventually have retail in it but is currently undeveloped). The buildings shaded yellow are those that have retail/restaurant spaces and are not owned by UWT.
The picture is overwhelming clear. Save for Twokoi, Tacoma Art Supply, Cascade Bagel, The Harmon, Abella’s, and Great Northwest Popcorn, every retail space in the district is owned by UWT. The decisions made by UWT affect the entirety of the retail district, and the school should seriously consider their role as a developer.
As unlikely as it may be, there is precedence for a University acting as a retail developer in this manner. Yale University has actively participated in the revitalization of downtown New Haven’s night life. In fact, Yale single-handedly created the Broadway District in New Haven, acting as single landlord to a whole district of shops and restaurants. Shopping goes till 9 (6 on Sundays) with a mix of national chains and local retailers.
There are major differences, of course. Yale has 11,000 students to UWT’s 3,000. And, though I don’t have stats to back me up on this, I would venture that Yale students have more disposable income than those at UWT. And unlike Yale, only a small handful of UWT’s students live near the campus.
But the growth models for UWT show them doubling their student population within the next 8 years. And long term growth (like 20 years out) shows an estimated10,000 students enrolled at UWT with at least 1,250 living on campus. (More from The News Tribune story about UWT that ran in August).
Knowing that a strong retail core will be a draw to the incoming students, UWT could decide to adopt some of these principles and begin cultivating their retail as a developer would. The methodology of the transition to required operation hours would be be difficult—after all there are current leases is place—though not impossible. They could give incentives to try to convince current lessees to agree to the change and they could insist on the clause in new leases, coordinating those efforts in such a way that the entire district’s hours get standardized on a particular date. They could forge agreements with the museums on later hours. And the University could even put out some marketing dollars on behalf of their tenants during the holiday season to make the transition more palatable.
UWT is also ideally suited for creating a parking validation program for their tenant restaurants and shops. With a minimum purchase, stores and restaurants could comp customers their parking costs if they parked in UWT lots, a move that would help reduce street parking congestion and possibly even encourage students to stay after classes to eat or shop.
Thanks to the museums, the Link, the students, and downtown workers, UWT has already laid the foundations for a successful retail district. Much of their retail space is rented with steady long-term tenants. But as the restaurants begin to fill up in the evening, the stores begin to close. Acting as a retail developer, UWT could single-handedly create a bustling retail district that is open and active throughout the evening, something downtown Tacoma has not seen in a very long time.
Filed under: dowtown-tacoma, tacoma-business
24 comments
T Thorax O'Tool October 17, 2008
Wasn’t UWT just recently talking about building student housing?
That alone will help drive the need for retail… hell, even maybe add some nightlife and… dare I say it? The push needed to get a downtown grocery store?
Since I mentioned it, I feel the need to point something out. We have Stadium Thriftway at the north end, Hilltop Safeway to the West and Albertsons on 38th to the south. My thoughts? Safeway is the weak link. People in central downtown are far closer to it than the others. Instead of building a store near Stadium, build it on that blighted corner of Pac and Puyallup ave.
D Douglas Tooley October 17, 2008
UW-T is now begining the process of establishing a Master Plan for expansion that does address residential needs as well as recreational.
I haven’t read the plan yet, though I do have a fair bit of experience with the main UW Campus urban plan and with Seattle University in my also gritty background.
One important point is that this is an Urban University – as such it should engage in the urban fabric, not remake it whole. The UW can play a leadership role, but we should be careful about relying on them to save the city in it’s entirety.
The UW does need to come up with some money for Parking – currently the best place to park for the UW is at Freighthouse square – built on a budget for other users.
B Brian October 18, 2008
I think another important thing to note about the Yale comparison is that Yale is a private university with a $22 billion endowment and over 5,000 employees. UWT is a public university that relies on state funding for the majority of its (comparatively tiny) operating budget and employs about 500.
And I would disagree with Erik B that they have been “adverse to housing.” They built the Court 17 apartments on Market Street.
What’s interesting to me is that—unlike in Seattle’s U-District—the retail that has grown around UWT is not really oriented toward the students. Sure, there are coffee shops and Urban Xchange and Subway, but a surprising amount is fancy restaurants like El Gaucho and Indochine and retail shops that sell things beyond the reach (and interest) of your average college student.
R RR Anderson October 18, 2008
Amen. Gimmie a decent comic book store, and hobby shop downtown!
D dni October 18, 2008
All good information and questions concerning downtown, shopping and sustainability. I think the UWT has already brought a lot to the table for Tacoma, and continues to do so.
My question is affordability for downtown retailers. There simply are not enough people downtown to keep a thriving retail community interested in being here.
The reason I opened my business downtown was because of the potential I saw, and its what I could afford. At that time I didn’t have the money to put into any other location in Tacoma.
What’s kept me open is, as “owner” I am cheap labor, and my lease is still fairly affordable, at least until it runs in a couple of years. I stay open later than 5 p.m. every day, and except for most Fridays and Saturdays, my end of town is a ghost town unless you serve hard alcohol or sell cigaretts.
My business has a good reputation, and I believe I’ve succeeded in that regard. However, if my rent increases I may have to call it a day, simply because there are not enough people to make it worth it to keep fighting the hard fight.
Who will rescue downtown? What is the magic equation? There are a lot of us living it down here.
R rich October 19, 2008
Once again, the magic equation is one that downtown and the government continues to ignore……A comprehensive short-mid-long term development plan for downtown include all aspects from Commercial, retail, and residential. Does Tacoma have anyone in government activily traveling the country to attract corportations to downtown? When will the downtown merchants stop smokin crack and think that the mom and pop shops are the only thing downtown Tacoma needs….like they are the ONE and can solve all needs and problems…give me a break…..survey 100 residents in Tacoma and I bet you they can’t name more than 1 or 2 stores in downtown by name…..Now once again, shop the country for downtown to corporations to move headquarters in, which brings jobs and population, stop living in this pipe dream that mom and pop stores can supply everything to us that live downtown and bring in some big box retail……duh!!! ok, so someone wants to go to the Gap, let’s say that gee theres a Gap downtown this person drives/bikes/swims whatever to downtown and walks a couple of blocks to get to the Gap, but enroute notices some mom and pop shops that they didn’t know exsisted and stops by and purchases some goods….YOU GET THE IDEA!!!….stop living in this pipe dream world and realize that though you hate them, you need big box downtown to survive….!@!!!!! wake up already…………
T Thorax O'Tool October 20, 2008
We used to have 2 BIG stores in downtown, years ago… Schonefeilds and Woolworths. Anyone remember Woolworths? When we were kids waiting for the bus, my sisters and I would go in there with my mom. The ladies behind the counter would give us cookies (I was like 6 at the time) while my mom browsed… I don’t remember her actually buying anything tho.
Oh well… Hard to beat memories like that!
Anyway, maybe Rich is on to something. Get some sort of “anchor” tenant downtown first.
R rick October 20, 2008
I have a single memory of visiting a Sears store downtown somewhere. Specifically, I recall it having multiple floors, and I believe the lower floor had the boys’ department. On that trip with my mom, I was the lucky recipient of pajamas, “husky” (wtf) jeans, and a three piece suit. I looked like a little evangelical in it — vest and all… powder blue. Must have been on sale. My military dad wouldn’t have otherwise stood for that sorta color. The suit was purchased so I would be adequately dressed when placed on a “church bus” Sunday morning with my brother. I suspect while my brother and I were getting “saved”, my dad was, well… getting “something else”. Fun memories. My point is that we need more church buses on Sunday mornings so we can shop locally. Actually, I don’t have a point. T O’Ts story just reminded me of my own downtown childhood shopping nightmare.
Thank you for (still) reading exit133.
L Lani October 20, 2008
I agree with the comments that UWT can’t fix all of the downtown Tacoma problems, but I think it can be a piece of the puzzle. As a UWT graduate student I have mostly evening classes and most of my classmates are gainfully employed full time with at least some disposible income, so I think shops open in that area later in the evening might do better than other areas of downtown. I think the combination of museums, students in evening classes, restaurants and shops open later could work in the UWT neighborhood. I disagree a little about the parking being available in the evening though, come look at 6:30 when I have to be in class! I live near one of the hospitals and walk to work and around downtown. When I tell coworkers about the places I walk they can’t believe I feel safe enough to walk in downtown Tacoma. If we want stores to remain open in the evening then we need to change this perception of unsafe streets by people who work in Tacoma but live out in the suburbs. The city also needs to look at making Tacoma more walkable and bikeable (I have had many close calls in crosswalks by motorists who just don’t look for pedestrians or bikes).
L laura Hanan October 20, 2008
I have always thought that downtown merchants should have consistent operating business hours that apply to all merchants. Though the logistics might be tough at first, it is probably one of the most simple things that downtown merchants could do that would make a big difference in the success of a vibrant downtown.
I used to belong and attend DMG meetings – when the group could not even commit to consistent downtown hours of operation, I stopped going.
Nothing is more irritating than not knowing what a businesses’ operating hours are or to go to an area and have some stores be open and others not. Another business killer that is frequently done in downtown Tacoma is that a business will change its hours over and over or not be open when their posted hours state they will be. The public has (and should not have) any patience for this.
D dni October 20, 2008
I spoke to several people the other day about downtown business. No one mentioned anything about business hours. EVERYONE mentioned the unsafe feeling they had about downtown Tacoma.
This is the perception and Lani above hit it on the head. One employee of mine didn’t come downtown before she worked for me, because of the “feeling” she got when she was down here. Its still running rampant in the “burbs”…scary downtown.
That’s a tough one to get around.
D drizell October 21, 2008
You bring up some really good points, Erik. The operating hours really are essential to keep customers coming. One thing that irks me is that many retailers choose to operate on the same schedule as government offices and banks. They’re only open from 8 or 9 in the morning to about 5:00 p.m., sometimes 5:30 if you’re lucky, and only on weekdays. Do they not understand that Saturday and Sunday are the biggest shopping days of the week??!! This is especially a problem for people like me, who may live out of town and who will go out of their way to spend money at small businesses in Tacoma.
Another advantage that malls and successful urban retail areas have over downtown Tacoma is that they encourage window shopping. This ties into the open times discussion. You may have only come downtown to buy a shirt at the Urban Exchange, but you unexpectedly wind up with an Art-O-Mat treasure from BKB and some flowers from Grassi’s. Of course, you need to have some choices. Since there really aren’t more than about half a dozen retail shops along that stretch of Pacific Avenue, there isn’t enough selection to encourage window shopping.
Finally, I think the biggest reason that retail will never thrive on Pacific Avenue near the UWT is that the area lacks the closed-in feeling that a mall or a dense retail street provides. Think about Seattle. The retail centers haven’t sprung up where there are wide streets carrying a lot of traffic. Retail is centered in places where the streets are narrower, the sidewalks wider, and there is retail ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET. The UWT area has a very wide street with sometimes fast moving car traffic and only one side is useful for retail. Also the UWT retail is several blocks away from any other retail downtown.
I do think retail could thrive around UWT. It’s definitely going to take more residents and transient visitors to the new hotels planned in the area. I think Market Street could be a retail success story, if the University wanted it to be.
R RR Anderson October 21, 2008
am I the only one who feels more unsafe in a shopping mall?
I hate retail. I hate shopping. Isn’t there an alternative to ‘shopping’ as the cure all elixir to a rotting city?
perhaps the death of a globalized economy will provide new opportunities we cannot yet imagine.
D dni October 21, 2008
RR; Just curious, if you were to take “retail” out of the equation, what would the world look like then?
Perception of the Tacoma Mall: “Safe” historically.
Perception of downtown Tacoma: “Unsafe” historically.
T Thorax O'Tool October 21, 2008
“if you were to take “retail” out of the equation, what would the world look like then?“
T Thorax O'Tool October 21, 2008
“Perception of downtown Tacoma: “Unsafe” historically“
Yet another side effect of the suburbs. If I’m gonna live in the country, then I’m going to be out in freaking Orting or the like. If I’m going to be in the city, then I’m gonna be in grit central. Don’t give me some manicured, artificial carbon-copy FAKE attempt to recreate the American Dream on a mass produced scale.
Give me downtown Tacoma, downtown Seattle, Chicago or NY any day of the week rather than gentrified-to-the-gills Federal Way, Bonney Lake or Bellevue.
Funny to mention… what’s usually the heart of any burb? The mall. Call it the Commons till you’re blue in the face, your city center is still the mall.
S Squid October 21, 2008
Downtowns have malls too. Pike Place Market is a food mall. Pacific Place is a high-rise mall with the same mix of stores as a high-end suburban mall in Wichita would have. Two of Seattle’s most popular shopping destinations. There is an appeal to lots of shops stacked right next to each other.
I’d rather see retail clustered more closely to the central dt area than at UW-T. Antique Row could be a very exciting area with a cool vibe if it had a different mix of stores. You’ll need a couple of national chain stores to serve as anchors, but the rest could be locally-owned & operated. Use Pacific Ave in Santa Cruz,CA (a much smaller town than Tacoma) as your mix model.
T tressie October 21, 2008
wowie, what a great idea. more small business is needed in downtown, tho I’m not against an anchor….like a grocery store. clears throat. Antique Row Already is cool, pal!
I miss Woolworths. There is a vibrant little retail/food/drink/art shopping district downtown. It’s up on Broadway/St hellens/Pacific/Commerce/Fawcett …oh between 11th/7th and moving north. Dozens of small shops are there. True most close at 5 ish….one is open till 7…and people love it! Bars and restaurants are open later…..clears throat again.T Thorax O'Tool October 21, 2008
There is a very, very big difference between “organic” and “artificial” malls.
“Organic” malls, or retail districts, or whatever you call them come about naturally as a result of proper urban planning. Pike Place, Pioneer Square, etc are this type. They’re part of a well designed neighborhood that provides retail, housing, workplaces and restaurants. There is incentive to stay in these areas, to linger and window shop, to see friends and get a bite to eat. They were grown by the needs of the communities they anchor. Look at most older, well established cities for other examples.
“Artificial” malls are the big box kind we all think of when we say “mall”… Tacoma Mall, Southcenter, Northgate and even Pacific Place (although they have done a better job than average). As a planned shrine to consumerism, the Mall designed to get you in and out and spend as much of your $$$ as possible. Artificial malls are not designed to be a community center. They are not designed to make you want to stay. They are not designed for anything other than spending your money.
Therein lies my point. An artificial center for an artificial city. A healthy downtown cannot rely on solely retail. Retail actually is a result of a demand from people who live and work in downtown, it creates a positive feedback loop.
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What the city needs to do is stick it’s neck out a little. Yes, the actions I mention may piss off the Mall and it’s tenants a little, but the gamble is worth it. My suggestions:
-Make it easier for the little guys to operate. Drop the B&O entirely in downtown.
-Get some sort of bog box store down there to attract some folks… maybe the city could offer some sort of sweetener to the deal to get that ball rolling?
-More housing downtown… and not just condos. In addition to proper handling lower income housing, we need apartments that are affordable by middle income folks. More stuff like the Vilaggio and Metropolitan would certainly be more helpful than more condos that aren’t selling. The city should offer some kind of incentive to encourage apartments.
-Attract new bushinesses. Times are tough, I know. But the city should have a team of folks whose sole job is to lure companies in from across the nation (or world, even?) to our fair city. They need to push that one HARD. Hell I even got a slogan: “Tacoma, where the Jobs are“.
-And that leads me to my final point for the moment: Advertise. The city needs to push real , real hard on a positive PR campaign. Not just to make up for decades of negative sentiment, but also marketing specifically crafted to lure businesses and shoppers away from the mall area and back into downtown.
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It’s all a gamble the city will have to take if it wants downtown retail back. It will take money, manpower, time and much sweat. Given the economy, it’ll be even harder. We all know what they payoff could be, we talk about it a lot here.
But what if we don’t act? What’s the risk?
Two words: further decline.
Do we want to be known as the Gary, Indiana of the NW?
D dni October 21, 2008
I agree with Squid regarding Antique Row and the promise is has. Its easily accessible, more walkable that Pacific Avenue and generally has more appeal with smaller roadways, interesting buildings…
Its my belief that after the Broadway LID has been completed this area of town will be ripe for a recooperation of sorts.
After rent increases because of increased property taxes I think you will see the smaller struggling stores diminish, thus making room for more trendier upscale places. How soon they will fill up, who knows.
As residential increases, then so will demands for retail, etc. The owners of the Metropolitan told me they were full just weeks after completion of their project. Smart guys.
However, the issue of “Safety” will still be hanging over the area, as well as empty condos. Long road ahead folks.
City needs to do less in studies, and invest more in attracting real business/people downtown. Advertising and marketing effectively would be nice. My faith in that happening….zero.
D dni October 21, 2008
Forgot to mention. Did anyone witness the activity in Downtown last Saturday? Quite a few events going on.
Celine Dion concert goers packed many a bar and restaurant, along with the event at MOG and I believe the Philharmonic. Now, that’s City living on a Saturday night. People everywhere! God Bless Celine Dion! My checkbook is heavier for her.
How can we get more people in the burbs to could see those crowds on the news, or in the papers? We complain about how dead it is down here, but no kudos for what it is like on those nights, or what it could be if we had more of them in Tacoma.
S Squid October 21, 2008
Oh dni, now you’ve done it. Mention of “Celine Dion” and “bars” in the same post requires me to tell the one about where Celine Dion walks into the bar and the bartender says… oh forget it.
Sorry.
S Squid October 21, 2008
Thorax@20: Actually, downtowns have both organic (like Pike Place) and artificial (see Pacific Place/Westlake). We got nothing growing in our organic garden, so going to have to do some of the fertilization. The city has staffers whose job it is to do the work of attracting business here (Ryan Petty & Co.). I won’t pass judgement on how good a job they are doing, but there has not been much success. It might not be their fault. You have to pitch to buyers. If a company isn’t expanding, you are wasting time trying to convince them to locate in Tacoma. Not much happening in national retail expansion the last few years.
R RR Anderson October 22, 2008
if we’re talking downtown vs. the mall one big attractor for me is that you maintain your civil liberties in the downtown… you know public domain.
The mall is private property. if You’re not with the consumer program then you’re arrested for trespassing.
I for one will never submit to tyranny. Long live Downtown!