I didn’t really get the point of the map. It seemed incomplete. To me it was just an advertisement for a few select companies. To put something together of that quality making it look almost “official” and then only have the companies that paid projects makes it look like not a lot is going on in downtown.

For someone in the know, yeah you already know whats going on in downtown and you know those projects were just a few of the new developments going in. The map is going out in papers that are distributed around the Sound, to people that might think that that is all that is going on downtown.

Those projects compared too 14 cranes (from recent news reports) in downtown Bellevue.

Was a nice try I guess.

anyone else feel that the Granville building is boring?

The new map is a marketing device that will be used by local real estate professionals and economic development groups. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive overview of every property downtown but only represents those properties that are seeking buyers or renters.

More details at http://tacomadowntown.blogspot.com/2006/11/to-market-to-market.html

You need to see the inside of the Granville-the finishes are really great as are the views. Also, the building had unique design issues as it is built on a very small lot. Beaver Brinkman designed the building to utilize every square inch of the property, which is why the building is a box. The water feature and front courtyard off set this a bit, but only when you are up close. All things considered, I agree with Derek that it will fit in when the scheduled developments on Broadway are complete, but it is great to see condos of this magnitude built in Tacoma.

It sure did seem like a challenging lot on which to build the Granville. However I also share Rich’s the opinion that the exterior is not only boring, but (in this lay-person’s opinion) it looks like a mish-mash of disproportionate architectural cues and unattractive building materials. But yeah, it will blend in more soon. I had been curious where the Granville name came from – From Granville Brinkman, I guess. And I didn’t know the Walker was going to be yet another vintage apartment going condo. (An aside: Walker-Wilkeson Sandstone is everywhere – now there was a beautiful building material!) Are there any figures on how many such renters become condo-purchasers? My guess is zero, and that they are all displaced and must be absorbed by the dwindling supply of remaining apartments. I realize things can’t (and shouldn’t) stay the same, but at some point will the neighborhood any longer be home for college students on a budget, local shop owners, people in transition, families of moderate income, etc.? Will the character of the neighborhood be multi-faceted, or as this pendulum keeps swinging, will it become exclusionary? (I don’t know, which is why I’ll stick to my day-job.)