Showing posts with label Tacoma waterfront property. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tacoma waterfront property. Show all posts

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Port Transportation & Land Use at January M-I-M


Manufacturing – Industries – Maritime (M-I-M) Meeting

January 17, 2014
7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
La Quinta Inn & Suites

Featuring: Port of Tacoma’s Land Use & Transportation Plans

Kell McAboy
Port of Tacoma

Ian Munce
City of Tacoma

Two major planning documents are underway, having completed their draft phases, requiring complementary and collaborative efforts by the Port of Tacoma and the City of Tacoma. These land use and transportation plans identify policies and action strategies to support capital improvements, attract private investments and encourage economic growth.

The Port of Tacoma is preparing a land use and transportation plan that will identify policies and recommendations to support capital improvements, attract private investments and encourage economic growth.

The land use and transportation plan will build on the goals and initiatives in its Strategic Plan http://www.portoftacoma.com/strategic-plan by providing information, policies and recommendations to support capital improvements, attract private investments and encourage economic growth.
The plan will be a policy-based document that identifies and prioritizes actions needed to achieve the Port's goals. It will act as a form of communication for decision makers and be designed to guide development over a 10 to 20 year planning horizon.

The area of focus for the plan is the Port of Tacoma Manufacturing Industrial Center (MIC) as designated by the Puget Sound Regional Council. Here is the link to the DRAFT Plan.

The City of Tacoma enjoys the economic contributions of the Port of Tacoma.

In order to protect the unique and critical infrastructure and industrial node of our state’s intermodal ports, in 2009, the Washington State Legislature amended the Growth Management Act (GMA) to include a requirement for a Container Port Element (CPE) in the GMA Comprehensive Plan for cities that contain a marine container port with annual operating revenues in excess of $60 million.

The legislative intent is “… to ensure that local land use decisions are made in consideration of the long-term and widespread economic contribution of our international container ports and related industrial lands and transportation systems and to ensure that container ports continue to function effectively alongside vibrant city waterfronts.” RCW 36.70A.085

Accordingly, the City of Tacoma, in collaboration with the Port of Tacoma, has prepared a Container Port Element for public review. Consistent with state requirements, the element provides policy guidance to achieve the following:

•         Protection of core areas of container port and port-related industrial areas within the City

•         Efficient access to the core area through freight corridors within the city limits

•         Protection against potential land use conflicts along the edge of the core area

•         Identification of key transportation corridor improvements.

The text of the Proposed CPE, together with background information, can be found on the City Website. To access the webpage for the CPE visit the Planning Services Division’s homepage  and click on “Container Port Element”, or go directly here.

Join us and share mutual interests, discover upcoming legislative issues, increase business opportunities and build relationships with our M-I-M group.

RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY!



Tuesday, December 11, 2012

City of Tacoma One Step Closer to Selling Waterfront Property


On Tuesday, December 11, 2012, Su Dowie, Executive Director of the Foss Waterway Development Authority (FWDA), presented to the Tacoma City Council’s Economic Development Committee regarding the proposed sale of City-owned real estate to Pacific Seafood, headquartered in Clackamas, Oregon.

The property, located at 1199 Dock Street, is approximately 28,000 square feet and includes a 7,720 square foot building. Johnny’s Seafood, which is owned by Pacific Seafood, has been a tenant of the property since 1975. The property would be sold for $700,000 and support FWDA operations for the 2013-14 biennium, which has already been included in their approved budget.

The City and FWDA have not made any improvements to the property for many years. Should the sale go through, Pacific Seafood plans to complete an extensive $1.3 million remodel. With the planned remodel and expansion, the property would maintain retail and commercial seafood operations and processing and add a café. The City would retain ownership of the esplanade.

Pacific Seafood has committed to hiring a Pierce County contractor for the remodel and additional Pierce County employees following the renovation. Should the City decide not to sell the property, they risk losing a local business to a nearby city, such as Fife. There is also an added benefit of property taxes, although Dowie did not know exactly how much that amount would be.

Councilmember Boe brought up an interesting question, asking if Pacific Seafood was unionized, noting how the non-unionization of the company could complicate the sale. Dowie replied that Pacific Seafood employees have voted against unionization, because of their strong employee benefits and pay package, which includes medical benefits and profit sharing.

The Committee unanimously approved a “Do Pass” for the sale. The sale will be scheduled for Council meeting sometime next month.