Decorative street banners designed by Northwest artists are beginning to bring color and life to downtown streets courtesy of the Local Development Council. Various designs by Ellensburg artist (and CWU faculty member) Chris Hinrichs and Portland artist Fred Ingram comprise the exciting "first round" of banners. The LDC will change out designs during the year in order to keep the look fresh and dynamic. Upon request, the LDC will also replace banners for a limited period of time with banners from third parties (for a fee). The LDC has contracted with the City of Tacoma to manage the banner program in downtown as part of the Retail Transformations initiative. The purpose of the banner program is to enhance the appearance of the downtown streetscape and call attention to community activities, institutions or events that capitalize on renewed public and private investment in Tacoma's urban center. The banner program also assists visitors to downtown Tacoma in finding their way by reference to color and design elements.

Banners installed by the LDC are permitted for year-round use and will be replaced approximately every 12-15 months. This program applies only to banners attached to public light standards within the boundaries of the BIA. It does not extend to banners suspended completely across downtown streets, nor does it extend to flags or other appurtenances attached to private buildings. Banners will not promote for-profit enterprises and are not intended as a public forum for the exercise of free speech.

Upon application, the LDC may make space available for banners sponsored by third parties for a fee. Groups interested in this element of the program should contact the LDC after reviewing these guidelines for materials, size and design established by the LDC with approval of the Tacoma Arts Commission:

Design Guidelines

Locations

Fabrication & Installation

Application & Instructions

Downtown Retail Poised for Transformation, Consultant Says

Seattle consulting firm Maestri Design, Inc. recently released recommendations for improving downtown retail at an evening event co-sponsored by the LDC. Maestri president Paula Rees used a "magic wand" during her presentation at the event, dubbed "Retail Transformations", in order to emphasize the sweeping changes impacting Tacoma's urban center. Rees said downtown has a "credible" collection of businesses that can form the core of a vital retail experience.

Rees concluded that downtown could accommodate as much as 225,000 square feet of additional retail activity to meet current demand. While that finding is contrary to some long-held opinions that downtown, for all of its changes, still lacks the consumer base to support more shops and restaurants, she said the demand for downtown retailers is coming from office workers, a growing number of downtown residents, and visitors from surrounding neighborhoods.

Rees and other consultants from Maestri unveiled eight specific recommendations to improve downtown's retail environment:

• Consolidate downtown retailers into clusters, no larger than four blocks long, and encourage retailers to locate there;

• Develop consistent identities for retail clusters, much like the readily identifiable Pioneer Square neighborhood in Seattle, and use consistent place names on transit stops, maps and marketing materials, among other things;

• Devote more money and programs--including security patrols, trash pick up and community events--to retail clusters;

• Re-examine regulations that require retail space in new buildings, and give developers the option of temporarily using new retail space for other things, such as offices or housing;

• Rationalize signage and improve wayfaring to help shoppers navigate downtown and find retail locations, in addition to better signs to direct motorists to parking garages and lots;

• Develop a parking program that encourages shopping and discourages "chain" parking;

• Adopt a more confident and original marketing stance, embracing the vision of a downtown retail environment that features small, unique businesses, similar to Seattle's Belltown neighborhood;

• Help downtown entrepreneurs by offering incentives like grants for downtown retail projects and low-interest loans to fix up storefronts.