TACOMA Project Discussion

[Hoodrat]

Great updates.

[Tacoma Boy]

Originally Posted by jake840

mSeattle,

You should make it down for Tall Ships July 3rd-7th.

And we do have the largest 4th of July celebration around, the Tacoma Freedom Fair

The Discoverychannel.com's Travel Channel named Tacoma's 4th of July Freedom Fair as one of the Ten “World’s Best” Fireworks Shows!

USATODAY.com has selected the Tacoma Freedom Fair as one of the Ten Best fireworks shows in the U.S.

CNN.com named the Tacoma Freedom Fair as one of the Best Travel Destinations in the U.S. for the summer of 2002.

Sounds like the weather might just be great to be outdoors.

I am so there... my work is a mere 1/2 mile from the Foss Seaport, and I live close enough to the waterfront that I can walk/bike to Ruston Way. I'll be certain to take all 3 sets of my NiMH batteries and the tripod.
Gonna be just plain AWESOME. I hope to catch as much of the Parade of Sail as I can (pesky work gets in the way...)


Hey Jake... I noticed your pics are from Stadium. I bet the view from the top floor of the new garage is fabulous. I'll scope it out this weekend.

[jake840]

The pics were actually from One Stadium Way.

[jake840]

Tacoma is 6th in 50 Fabulous Travel Ideas

In the July issue of Travel+Leisure Magazine Tacoma was named the as one of the top "Fabulous Travel Ideas" in the USA.

Only one city/location was picked per state and Tacoma was #6 on the list!

"This once industrial city has become an international destination for glass art. The birthplace of acclaimed glass designer Dale Chihuly, Tacoma is home to not only the Museum of Glass, but also galleries, shops, and a few unexpected spots that have embraced the medium.

"At the new Hotel Murano, each of the 21 guest floors honors a different artists (from Australian Cobi Cockburn to Chihuly), and rooms are filled with one-of-a-kind handblown pieces."

[Vashon118]

The Commencement (taken 6/21):

[jake840]

First: Tacoma is 6th in 50 Fabulous Travel Ideas

In the July issue of Travel+Leisure Magazine Tacoma was named the as one of the top "Fabulous Travel Ideas" in the USA.

Now: Tacoma is ranked 5th Best Town in America in the August 2008 Outside Magazine

[Tacoma Boy]

Sorry bout the recent lack of updates... new job is time consuming. So that being said, away we go!

TACOMA

First up on deck, Pac Plaza. These are from last week, I saw a concrete pump this morning, working on the "core". I'll swing by this afternoon.

Trees are gone


Working hard or hardly working?


Edges squared off, I guess columns will be put in here.


From the roof of the garage next to WaMu... incidentally, I don't recommend it. Some gulls have a nest up there and are very aggressive. Not safe!


Forms ready for concrete, making a core for the building


Tacoma General, taken during Ethnic Fest this weekend

The crane for the ER expansion up on MLK.


Boiler plant crane and prayer flags


3 huge boilers in said plant


PUYALLUP

It amazes me that this project flew under my radar for so long. Likely because I seldom go to East Pierce County.
Regardless, here we have the nearly complete brand new City Hall. It's by far the tallest building in Puyallup,
if you ignore that one ride at the fair.

Render


the north side, from the school district parking lot


I like this side... too bad it's the back that won't be seen too much


As seen from Meridian, headed south. That top part reminds me of a bad comb-over


Actually looks pretty good from Meeker Park.


Detail


RUSTON

The Commencement is very close to topping off. It really is much larger in person than you think.
An interesting prelude to the dramatic changes in store with Point Ruston...

From 3 blocks down from Don's Ruston Market


The side facing Commencement Bay. Shows how big of scale this thing is, relative to Ruston.
The town is under 1,000 people, I suspect that this place alone could (if full) bump the town up by 25-30%



Things are lookin' up


Old School (literally)


In the alley behind the old Ruston School


Sucks to be the neighbors. Is it a wonder why so many people in town hate this project?
I talked to an elderly man who lives down the block. Needless to say, he had a lot of 4 letter
words to say about the Commencement.
Personally, I think it's too big to be where it is. If they built it on the ASARCO/Point Ruston
side of the road, I think it'd be far more appropriate.


Remember the sign above... "A view without end"? This is that view! Pardon my bad panorama stitching skills. But I won't argue that this is a $10 million view.




More updates soon!

[mSeattle]

Nice update! Puyallup's slightly less pathetic with that new building. People shouldn't even be living that far out there, but I digress.

[Tacoma Boy]

mSeattle... I'm not so sure about folks not living in Puyallup. It's been there over a century, one of the older communities in the area. I'm more inclined to say folks shouldn't be moving out to the real boonies, like Bonney Lake and Enumclaw.
...........
Here are the rest, as promised!

Metropolitan Apartments, Phase 2

They're almost done, move-in is (last I heard) scheduled for Aug 1st. So, this is pretty much the last update for this project, until Phase 3 happens.


Good height, not a bad shape. However, I somehow suspect the color scheme won't be around for a long time. We'll see...


Midtown Lofts

I only had 1 recent picture. I'll try to do a more thorough update in the near future



If anyone wants a hi-res, or even a request for a particular building/project in downtown, please PM me... it's practically my neighborhood!

[Tacoma Boy]

Swung by, here's some more pics. Very close to topping off.... if one can say that about a 6 story building.

Ready to add the roof soon...


All-steel construction. I wonder if that reduces the total weight of the structure?


Looking good!

[Tacoma Boy]

Good times ahead here!

The UW Tacoma auditorium... moving along quickly now.


Showcase Tacoma getting rolling, just down the block from UWT... nice view of the Convention Center as well as the chronically under-used Tollefson Plaza.



The Luzon Building.
Gintz still hasn't begun work on this historic charmer. When complete, their offices will occupy floors 5-6, 1-2 will be retail and 3-5 will be leased out. I do not know if it'll be Class A or not. The sales @ the Mecca Condos have been slow (no surprise given the market), I certainly hope that does not kill the project.

Historic.


Looking up...


Old-fashioned detail... and some crane reflection


Could be a dense corner, if Pac Plaza (extreme right) and that ugly all-glass one in between the Luzon and the Murano were taller.
To the left of the Luzon is a parking lot that if built up would help fill that hole in the skyline...


From 13th and Commerce... nice views of Mt Rainier and the Esplanade.


More updates soon, be sure to check out the Pacific Plaza thread for more new updates.

[mSeattle]

I was down there last Saturday and snapped some shots. Didn't do UWT. Some sort of music thing was going on outside though.

[Tacoma Boy]

Not much for today, it isn't fun taking the camera into the rain.
There are updates on Pac Plaza here.

505 Broadway is cladded up to the 6th floor, I'll hit that as soon as the weather clears.
__________________________________________________________________________
Also, the tower crane at the TG boiler plant is gone now... almost looks naked.


I was thinking the tower crane would be used to help install the boiler stacks... Now I wonder how they'll do it.


And of course, the new ER @ TG. I'll get closer this weekend.


I don't go by it that often, but the new Goodwill on Center & Tacoma Ave is screaming along fast.
Jake, this is in your hood... got any better pics of the progress?

[Tacoma Boy]

Ever taken a picture so awesome that you can't not share it?
Here's our bonus shot for the day, enjoy!

[jake840]

TNT Article

Downtown Tacoma's Luzon Building to return to its 1890 look
Posted by John Gillie @ 06:55:46 am

New plans for renovation of downtown Tacoma's most prominent historic eyesore, the 1890 Luzon Building, call for it to be returned to its appearance 117 years ago.

Paint applied to its brickwork when it served as an arcade and home to a Chinese restaurant will be removed gently, and the bricks restored to their original appearance.




The only difference from the building's original facade will be a new elevator and mechanical core that will be built abutting the historic building to the south to stiffen and strengthen it against earthquakes.

Gintz Group project manager Tim Lieberman said Tacoma architect Jon Graves' design would replicate the building's as-new details down to minor cosmetic items. The Gintz Group, a Tacoma developer, acquired the building last year from Oakland, Calif., developer Mike Bartlett.

Those plans have been submitted to state authorities to help secure their approval of historic tax credits of up to 20 percent of the building's renovation costs, said Lieberman. If state officials approve, the building's application for federal tax credits will be forwarded to the National Park Service which grants federal tax credits if the building's renovation mets federal standards.

The Luzon is one of two remaining West Coast buildings -- the other is in San Francisco -- designed by famed Chicago architects Daniel Burnham and John Root. The two designed several pioneering Chicago high-rises. After Root died, Burnham designed Washington D.C.'s Union Station and many of the buildings at Chicago's Worlds Fair.

Lieberman said he expects the tax credit approval process to take up to 90 days. Once those tax credits have been approved, the developers will complete their financing and begin the project.

The project manager said finding financing has been challenging but the tax credits and a $1.65 million low-interest loan from the City of Tacoma will make what might have been a difficult project doable.

Bartlett tried several times to rehab the building, but the pieces never came together for him.

The Gintz Group plan calls for retail spaces on the Pacific Avenue and Commerce Street levels and four stories of offices above, one of which will be the developer's headquarters. The building, located at South 13th Street and Pacific Avenue, will be renamed the Burnham & Root Building.

The developer has shown the building to several prospective tenants including a bank.

"I warn those who want to see the building that they need to have a well-developed imagination to look past the collapsing floors to envision how the finished building will look," he said.


See the post above for the Luzon Building in its current state of yuck.

[Tacoma Boy]

It's well about time they got the former Luzon going... I was afraid for a while that the lackluster sales @ the Mecca were going to once again halt
the restoration of this historic building. I definitely like the old bricks being cleaned off back to their original glory.

Heard any more about the $65 million permit, Jake?

Now for some updates.... the Midtown Lofts, seen from 12th and Market. They aren't particularly big, but at 6 stories they dominate that stretch of the block.
It's particularly noticeable when you're at the YMCA on 13th.



As promised, 505 Broadway.
It's moving along nice, and I can't wait for the scaffolding to come down. I pass it daily on my way to work, and the brick is going to look very classy.



The Broadway LID is in full force down there, making access a little difficult. All the pain will be worth it, when we have nice, new streets, lights and sidewalks.
Scheduled to be completed the same week 505 opens.



...underground utilities. No more unsightly poles and wires. Why don't they do that all over town?



The interiors are busy being done. As the van indicates, all units are getting the granite counter top treatment.
Personally, I hate granite (it's useless if you actually cook), but folks seem to demand it.


Sheetrock going up



up on a bad-ass forklift



... and into the 7th floor



City Hall in all it's Art Deco glory in the distance.



You are HERE



The neighbors next door... the Broadmoor Apartments.



Inside the garage entrance on Stadium Wy



Der Kran



Now, one of the things they sell @ 505 Broadway is the view. My badly-stitched panorama is from ground-level, so you can imagine just how awesome it'll be from higher up.
Once above the trees, you'll be able to see from Vashon Island to downtown. A 180 degree view of the water is damn hard to beat.

[jake840]

Condominum towers for Foss Waterway win key approval

The state Department of Ecology has approved a change to Tacoma’s shoreline management plan that could allow 180-foot condominium towers on the northwest side of the Thea Foss Waterway.
Construction won’t start anytime soon, however.

“This is the process to get us to where we can actually have a permit,” said Ted Johnson of Simon Johnson LLC, the development company.

The amendment nearly doubles the previous 100-foot building limit, but requires view corridors and other features in exchange for the taller buildings.

The process to amend Tacoma’s plan started in 2004, when the Tacoma-based company proposed a four-tower condo complex on a plot 120 by 1,000 feet on the west side of the Foss Waterway, north of the East 11th Street bridge.

The proposal called for replacing the six boat sheds currently on the property with a long, narrow building. The base, to be used for parking, would be up to 50 feet high and topped by up to four towers reaching up to 180 feet high. Condos and possibly office and retail space would be located there, Johnson said.

The full article here

Section on the City of Tacoma website with 3D models and other docs here

[jake840]

I was checking out the Walker Condo website and noticed the Walker North project now says Boutique Hotel and Retail coming in 2009.

It was to be condos and retail. Great news considering the current condo market and the lack of hotels in Downtown Tacoma.

I am sure my friends who own the new bar, The Mix, a block away will be happy to hear its going to be a hotel..

Now if only MRED would get their webiste back online and give everyone some updates. I am still waiting on the 25the and Yakima Ave. mixed-use project to get going.

[Tacoma Boy]

Originally Posted by jake840

I was checking out the Walker Condo website and noticed the Walker North project now says Boutique Hotel and Retail coming in 2009.

It was to be condos and retail. Great news considering the current condo market and the lack of hotels in Downtown Tacoma..

No info I could find on the Walker's website. Any renders been made available yet, Jake? When this thing gets underway, I'll be all over it. This is closer to my place than Pac Plaza!

I remember months back when I talked to the foreman. He did say there was going to be a hotel. AND a grocery store where the classic car place is now.

Onto the update o-the day: Midtown Lofts.

We got what looks like max height



Ugh... that garage next door is hideous. It's been done a week and I already loathe it.



We got some windows going in down on floor 1



Looking inside the garage door



Industrial looking.... I love it.



And we all shine on, like the moon, the stars and the sun



2-bit glory



M-town lofts will carry a nice presence when it's done

[Tacoma Boy]

Originally Posted by jake840

...
I am sure my friends who own the new bar, The Mix, a block away will be happy to hear its going to be a hotel...

I liked it better when it was Ida's.