Free the Chihuly Bridge!
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May. 14, 2008 at 7:45am
Free the Bridge: How We Got Here
The following is provided as a public service on how the Free the Bridge movement came to be.
Sept 21, 2006, 6:46am: Kevin's Downtown construction mini mystery: http://www.kevinfreitas.net/journal/glass-bridge-gate-removal/
Sept 21, 2006, 12:46pm: Mystery solved: http://www.kevinfreitas.net/journal/glass-bridge-blocking-wall/
Includes links to easement docs.
Sept 27, 2006: Exit133 - WSHM's Donor Wall To Muck Up Pedestrian Flow? http://www.exit133.com/1098/wshms-donor-wall-to-muck-up-pedestrian-flow
Thread gets overheated - comments turned off after only 2 days.
Sept 27th, 2006: TNT editor's blog - The long-lost tribute to Save our Station: http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/oped/?title=the_long_lost_tribute_to_save_our_statio&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
Ebjornson reminds us that the Project for Public Spaces made a recommendation to "Open up the fence to create direct access to the bridge from Pacific."
Sept 28th, 2006: TNT coverage - Stop-work order issued for History Museum wall: http://dwb.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/6126367p-5365382c.html
Mentions role of blogs and quote's RR's "fat cats" comment.
Sept 29, 2006: The Donor Wall - Follow Up: http://www.exit133.com/1108/the-donor-wall-follow-up?commented=1#c002504
Oct 2006: RR Anderson's momentous "Moat with Crocodiles":
http://tacoma.web.design.googlepages.com/theWALL.jpg
October 22nd, 2006: Julie Anderson’s Op-ed TNT piece - Wall debate could launch talks about downtown’s future: http://dwb.thenewstribune.com/opinion/insight/story/6182722p-5406285c.html
Julie's famous “Wrong problem. Wrong solution.” letter.
Nov 1, 2006: Kevin's "Tacoma Century Park Sketches" post: http://www.kevinfreitas.net/misc/century-park-ideas/
Readers were asked to submit their own designs for Century Park.
Feb 2, 2007: Exit133 forum post "THE WALL": http://www.exit133.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=180&action=new
April 11, 2007: No 'donor wall' but stop work order lifted: http://www.kevinfreitas.net/journal/wshm-stop-work-lifted/
May 10, 2007: Kevin's "WSHM fence barrier to a more vibrant downtown" opinion post: http://www.kevinfreitas.net/journal/wshm-fence-barrier-vibrant-downtown/
May 1, 2008: David Boe's "Set the Chihuly Bridge Free" post: http://www.exit133.com/3179/imagine-tacoma-set-the-chihuly-bridge-free
The spark was re-ignited on May Day 2008
May 9, 2008: RR Anderson creates a fence kicking wiener:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tacoma-cartoonist-society/2479188378/
 by izenmania on 5/14/2008 @ 8:18am | And lest we forget...
May 6, 2008: Kevin shows us what he thinks the bridge's signs should say: i.feedtacoma.com/KevinFreitas/getting-pa... |
 by Erik on 5/14/2008 @ 10:04am | Great overview. First time all of those links have been assembled. Oct 2006: RR Anderson's momentous "Moat with Crocodiles": I remember that. tacoma.web.design.googlepages.com/theWAL...  |
 by Heather on 5/14/2008 @ 11:36am | Thanks for posting the list. I feel like I'm almost caught up now. Whew.
39 signatures on the on-line petition, so far. |
by Heather on 5/14/2008 @ 12:04pm | Has anyone proposed that we suggest a short-term compromise? Would the WSHS and museum consider removing one section of the fence to create an opening between the two middle concrete posts? It seems like it would take very few man hours and technical expertise to remove one of the panels.
Maybe someone could donate a potted tree for each side of the new accessway and, voila, we have a new temporary entrance. This would allow more direct access to the Bridge of Glass but still block cars and keep kids in the courtyard area fairly safe. Additionally, maybe it could be a test run for the museum to see how the change in traffic flow affects their sales. The museum would retain the ability to re-install the panel if the results were disastrous for them. A step in the right direction like this would certainly encourage me (and maybe 39 others?) to pay to visit the museum and even buy a bagel or two or ten. I would love to post a photoshopped picture example, but I lack the software. RR or Erik? |
 by thriceallamerican on 5/14/2008 @ 12:30pm | Heather, if you have a Mac I can suggest either The GIMP or it's lightweight little brother Seashore for photoshoppy-like stuff. |
by Heather on 5/14/2008 @ 1:06pm | ...and I lack a Mac |
 by KevinFreitas on 5/14/2008 @ 1:24pm | There's a version of Gimp for Windows that works just great. Have it at home myself. Go for it Heather! Oh, and great idea by the way. |
 by boearc on 5/14/2008 @ 3:45pm | Or imagine...What if a gate is installed in the center of the fence and it is staffed by a guard. If pedestrians want to enter through the gate, they must answer a Washington State History question. Like "Who was the first governor of the State of Washington" or similar. If they answer correctly, they are allowed to pass and maybe given a small sticker that lets everyone know that they know their WA (WSH could sell stickers in their gift shop saying "I passed throught the Chihuly Gate"). If they answer incorrectly, they are required to divert around the fence and must enter/exit through the museum in the hopes that they might get diverted and go into the musum and actually learn some state history. These guards could be dressed in period clothing appropriate to their question. |
by thriceallamerican on 5/14/2008 @ 3:52pm | Hee.
(And oh, it's Isaac Stevens.) |
by Heather on 5/22/2008 @ 11:50am | I checked out the fence yesterday (sans camera, unfortunately) and found that the panels are attached to the concrete posts with some pretty big L brackets that are embedded in the concrete. This means that if a panel were removed, something would have to be installed to prevent the public from poking their eyes out or slashing their calves while passing through. I'm sure it is doable, but not as easy as simply removing a panel. Also, the posts and panels are not symmetrical, per se, so removing one panel would result in an off centered opening. Not optimal. But still maybe a good start. Yesterday, I saw a large group of conventioneers walking, with map in hand, from the Murano to MOG for a banquet dinner and imagined their confusion upon encountering the fence... I wish I could have been there to document it. |
 by Twisty on 5/23/2008 @ 7:14am | Wait... isn't there already a guard down there? There used to be.
When the bridge was first put in, part of the deal with the city was that it would be a public space and as such would remain open 24/7. I don't remember who the parties were (I'm sure that MOG was in on it, though), but I do remember the agreement quite clearly (and the guard). |
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