Historic Tacoma looks to you to help decide its future. Recognizing that we can no longer sustain our advocacy, education and preservation efforts as an all volunteer organization, we need your advice in considering the purpose and place we fill in Tacoma’s future before we take our next steps as an organization. WATCH this page for ways that you can get involved.
We believe that Tacoma’s cultural and historic places tell a story of its past and make our community distinct from other places. These resources provide tangible connections to the people and events that have shaped our city, creating a unique sense of place and community pride. As the great old sign said, You’ll like Tacoma. We do. We are inspired by the historic architecture of the City and look to a future where the old mixes with the new to create a distinctly-Tacoma built environment.
Historic preservation generates a wide range of economic and environmental benefits. Nationally-recognized economist Donovan Rypkema, who spoke in Tacoma in December, makes a strong case for investment in the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings which utilizes skilled local labor, produces a higher dollar benefit for the local economy than new construction, and often returns underutilized properties to the tax rolls. Rehabilitation of existing buildings also reduces raw resource consumption and re-uses sustainable materials; the greenest building is one that’s already built.
We’ve all witnessed the impact of preservation in neighborhood and downtown revitalization. Much of Tacoma’s current identity is tied to the success of our Theater District, the rehab of Union Station, and the success of UWT. Thanks to reuse of historic buildings, Tacoma’s renaissance has created vibrancy and interest in our downtown.
But preservation doesn’t happen by default and Tacoma has had both preservation successes and failures. With the recent loss of the landmark Luzon Building, we’re reminded that demolition is a threat as long as a building remains neglected and underutilized. We have many preservation opportunities in our downtown, mixed-use centers, and neighborhoods. Our actions can’t be limited to crisis situations. We must act now to prevent the next crisis.
The challenges of preservation extend to the roles of advocacy and leadership in our community. In our fourth year, Historic Tacoma will build on our track record, credibility and relationships, ensure that our future operations meet community needs, and select the strongest organizational model to achieve these goals. We appreciate your commitment to Tacoma and your contributions toward our future success.
-- Historic Tacoma Board, March 2010
