TACOMA Project Discussion

[jake840]

WOW:

From Exit133.com

A local development group entered into a sale agreement with Williams and Dame earlier this month for the Elks Building and the sale should be complete next week. The challenge for Williams and Dame, and every other developer that has looked at the property, is one of economics. How can somebody restore the building and still make money?

This Is Where It Gets Interesting

The idea currently making its way through the halls of Pierce County would link a renovated Elks Building to a greater change in how transit is managed in downtown Tacoma.

The scope of the project would extend from the north parking lot of the Elks Building south through the Lorig project. Pierce Transit would move their downtown bus service into the Commerce level of the new Lorig mixed-use building and off the several blocks of Commerce Street it now uses. All passengers would board buses from inside the transit station. The Commerce Street side of the Elks Building would become the entrance to a grand public space that would include retail, public uses, a large lobby, ticket sales, and the only access to the transit station.

The Spanish Steps would be renovated. The Elks Building’s parking lot would become a new mixed use project with parking. Retail would appear on the Broadway facing sides of the project. The Broadway level and upper floor of the Elks would be available for other uses. Restaurant? Children’s Museum? Commercial offices? Something else? How about a year round farmers market in the grand public space?

There are a lot of moving parts, several parties involved, and negotiations are ongoing.

The plan will be brought before the Pierce Transit Finance Committee this afternoon in order to get a letter of intent in place as soon as possible.

The potential of this development could be huge for the City. One element is the building itself. An iconic building would be renovated into a public space for everybody to use. A second element concerns the transit center. By shifting all the bus waiting areas under one roof with limited access, there are potential impacts for crime and safety. The new transit center would significantly improve the ability of the BIA and TPD to keep an eye on things. At the same time, it will remove the large crowds of people hanging out underneath the eaves as they wait for buses. This will completely change the look of Commerce Street.



From the TNT Political Buzz:

The Pierce Transit board will discuss an idea today to lease part of the downtown Elks Lodge for a new transit center.

Pierce County Councilman Tim Farrell said he has discussed the idea with a so-far-unidentified developer who has an option to purchase the old lodge building at 7th and Commerce. The developer would be willing to lease the Commerce Street level to the transit agency for a terminal. The rest of the building would be developed for other uses.

Then, Pierce Transit would build a new bus loading and turnaround facility in the parking lots next to the Spanish Stairs. The center would be linked with a new terminal, perhaps with a tunnel beneath the Spanish Stairs. It would be part of a mixed-use development, perhaps with Lorig and Associates which owns part of the parking lot.

If the idea is adopted, Pierce Transit would try to sell the existing transit center at 10th and Commerce. The park on the roof would not be changed by any sale.

Farrell, known as an advocate for historic preservation, said the idea began when he concluded that the existing transit center was a problem. He said he thinks it is too hard to patrol, forces riders to wait outside for buses and won't work for longer, articulated buses the agency may use if ridership increases.

Farrell said the board, of which he is a member, will discuss the idea today at a special meeting at Pierce Transit headquarters at 96th and South Tacoma Way at 2:30 p.m. If the board decides to pursue the proposal, it will likely spend the next year looking at the numbers, Farrell said.

Sounds a bit crazy but very interesting