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Sep. 24, 2008 at 12:28pm

Brewery District Hotels

Sorry, I know it's long! Skip to "The Nutshell" at the bottom if you're too lazy to read!

Exit133 has brought attention to the latest development in the brewery district hotel saga. As my comment indicated, I nearly threw up in my mouth when I saw the renderings. That being said, my take is actually not entirely negative but is certainly heavily weighted that way. I'll start with what I like . . .

The Good

I like the fact that there has been some resistance to the earlier designs in an official capacity. It tells me that Tacoma is losing the attitude of "beggars can't be choosers" and finally acknowledging the fact that Tacoma is increasingly becoming a more desirable place to live and do business in. With respect to the latest design, I must also tip my hat to the architects and designers for actually making an effort to accommodate the architectural context of the area and for also removing surface-level parking from the design. So there you go, an A for effort!

The Bad & The Ugly

What I don't like is pretty much everything else. The results that A-level effort produced are far from acceptable. My first reaction to the new design was thoughts of how generic and uninteresting it was. It looked like your typical freeway exit/middle of nowhere/convenience stop for drivers too tired to finish their drive to Seattle. My guess is that this is exactly what the developers have in mind, and is probably based in some fairly stale market research. Research that does not account for immediate and future circumstances.

In reality, I think the primary clientele will be quite different. I see most guests being business travelers and other visitors drawn to the area by the convention center, local businesses operating in national/multinational contexts (here's looking at you, Russell), families of local students (think graduations and incoming freshmen for UPS/PLU/UWT) and by the ever increasing selection of museums and tourist attractions not duplicated elsewhere.

What We Should Require

So enough complaining, how about some constructive feedback? How about at the very LEAST requiring that the existing mash (not water) tower be refurbished or replicated and somehow integrated into the building architecture. Even something as simple as tossing it on the top of the building somewhere visible. Better yet, do it Harmon-style and integrate it into the facade of the building on the corner or at the main entrance.

What better (and easier) way to support the development of this area than to throw up a freakin' mash (not wataer) tower? If anything it would draw attention to the building and might actually BENEFIT the hotels operating within the buildings. See? Everybody wins!

The Nutshell

Any new development in this area will be effectively the anchor tenant for the district. It will either make or break the district, spurring future growth or end up allowing it to grow stagnant. As an anchor tennant, this project should be held to a higher standard than any other nearby development that follows. It will be setting a precedent for what is required of future growth in this area.

If this is going to continue to be the brewery district, the objective should be to do more than just camoflage new construction with the nearby buildings. We should be bringing emphasis to, and develop, its character. Otherwise we're going to end up with a University Place situation, with a name that only reflects what might have been.