The Foremost Dairy building, recently renovated by Seattle-based American Life Inc., has earned a LEED Gold certification, according to a news release this morning.

LEED is a voluntary and rigorous certification program that rates design, construction and operation of “green” buildings. According to the release from Freiheit & Ho Architects, the Foremost building, at 2415 Pacific Ave., “achieved LEED certification for efficiency in energy, lighting, water and material use, as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies.”

The Foremost building now houses Social Security offices on the second floor, with ground-floor retail space available.

The LEED certification is one …

Read more »

A ZipCar spokeswoman today quashed persistent rumors that the car sharing concern will soon by closing up shop in Tacoma.

Colleen McCormick said the company intends to keep cars available for sharing both at the University of Washington Tacoma and at Pacific Lutheran University.

“Because we have cars at schools in Tacoma, from time to time we may ‘defleet’ our inventory there during school vacations, but we’ve got no plans to leave Tacoma,” she said.

ZipCar charges members hourly rates to use cars strategically stationed in major metropolitan areas.

Freighthouse Square in downtown Tacoma’s Dome District will be the life of a (daytime, kid-friendly) party this Saturday. Think Legos, giant checkers and a scavenger hunt.

The first I CAN! Event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. According to a news release, activities will include:

• LEGO and DUPLO building areas
• Watercolor Painting with Lucy Schwartz
• Comedic Stage Magic with our Emcee, Just Sage
• Artistic Photography by Dayton Knipher
• Acoustic Music with Heidi Stoermer
• Creative Storytelling with Ryan Henry Ward
• Recycled Materials Art Projects with Suni Cook-Boucher
• Author Readings by NorthwestAuthors.org
• Northwest

…

Read more »

Downtown Tacoma employers, Thursday brings a chance to learn about an employee perk that won’t cost you anything.

“Live Downtown” is a year-old program that provides financial incentives for employees to live close to work. Participation is free for the business, because the incentives are offered by the participating lenders and property owners.

Here’s how it works, according to a news release:

HomeStreet Bank, O’Connor and Associates, American Financial Solutions and other businesses offer discounts on home ownership and rentals for employees of participating businesses. Employees can save up to $6,000 on a new home (depending on loan amount) …

Read more »

A letter last week was the official end of plans for a new apartment building and city-owned parking garage next door to McMenamins’ Elks Temple.

In a one-page letter dated March 21, Tacoma city manager T.C. Broadnax informed Rick Moses, Grace Pleasants that the development agreement struck in 2009 is dissolved. That agreement was the official reflection of the three-party deal Pleasants and Moses brokered that brought Portland-based brewpub McMenamins to town.

“The City appreciates your efforts in trying to make this tri-party Project work even in challenging economic times,” Broadnax wrote.

Lest we all get confused, McMenamins has maintained …

Read more »

The Milwaukee Business Journal reported Friday that Northwestern Mutual Chairman and CEO John Schlifske said his company is not interested in selling Seattle-based and Tacoma-born Russell Investments.

Rumors of such a sale have occasionally appeared since the Milwaukee-based financial services group purchased Russell in 1999.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting, Schlifske said Northwestern Mutual was neither interested in selling Russell or buying parts of Connecticut-based Hartford Financial, which announced in March that it would cease selling annuities and place its life insurance interests for sale.

Schlifske said rumors of a Russell sale are baseless speculation by investment bankers …

Read more »

Initial planning and design work for a new seaplane float on downtown Tacoma’s Thea Foss Waterway is advancing with the selection of the Everett engineering firm Reid Middleton to perform the work.

The Thea Foss Development Authority selected Reid Middleton from among several applicants.

The initial planning work is begin funded by a $30,000 grant from the Washington Department of Transportation and $5,000 from private sources.

The Tacoma Waterfront Association and others have been campaigning for a seaplane facility on the waterway to handle both private and commercial seaplane operations.

The initial planning envisions a float at the north end …

Read more »

After two years of disruptive railroad construction in their back yard, one Dome District business decided to move closer to the downtown core.

Community Health Care announced today it’s moving its headquarters from the Armour Building, 101 E. 26th St., to the Washington Building at South 11th and Pacific.

The private nonprofit public health organization will move its 52 administrative employees by the end of May, around the same time Sound Transit expects construction on its commuter rail to be finished.

“The main reason (to move) is, we do have train tracks coming through the parking …

Read more »