Hostess Bakery Building For Sale ( 2. June 2007, 21:42 by Derek Young) ~ Anybody Up For Some Fun?
So… since we’re talking about the Sixth and Sprague intersection, I thought we should mention the Hostess Bakery building at 701 South Sprague. The Interstate Bakeries Corporation went bankrupt in 2004. We’ve been wondering what was going to happen to this building ever since. Great brick circa 1950. 36,000 square feet. Decent up-n-coming location (with a Starbucks going in across the street). The building is now available via auction “Subject to Bankruptcy Court Approval”. I see some great adaptive reuse potential here. Who’s in?
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I still think it would be perfect for a brew pub. Are you listening McMenamins?
1 | Posted by morgan | Jun 3, 12:56 PM
Throw a few stacks on the top and you’d have a pretty bad ass steam plant!
3 | Posted by RR Anderson | Jun 3, 06:46 PM
Hostess Bakery Building For Sale
The Interstate Bakeries Corporation went bankrupt in 2004.
I always wondered how one produces “food” products like Twinkies (great site) that never go bad. I don’t know if I would call it baking. More like manufacturing.
The building is now available via auction “Subject to Bankruptcy Court Approval”
Good sign. That means it will almost certainly be sold.
can a building become public domain? like a park, a place to be, but instead of trees and b.b. courts and horseshoes there could be pleasant seating arangements indoor zen gardens. i guess im talking about a sanctuary, often walking through that hood i find myself wishing i could stop in somewhere, but pinch’s is dangerous ground and starbucks wont pour my cup of tea.
5 | Posted by daniel blue | Jun 3, 08:28 PM
Not to knock McMenamins, but what about creating our own Tacoma-based version of the same concept. McMenamins operates something like 20 brewpubs in Portland alone. Why wait for the outsider to come and do something fun? Why not just do it ourselves?
On that note, 36,000 sf seems a bit big for just a brewpub. I’m not familiar with this building. Is it multi-story? Perhaps a funky little boutique hotel on the second floor? Or affordable housing maybe…does anyone have pics?
I’m seconding drizell here. I think the McM idea can be easily adapted locally, sans the bad painting with endless deadhead references. It’s tiresome. I’m glad at least they held back at the Olympic Club. Where McM does get huge credit is for taking on such massive projects and seeing potential in buildings others say could never pencil out. In that, they are truly amazing. And you can always paint over a bad mural later…
7 | Posted by UPSPatrick | Jun 4, 09:05 AM
What’s wrong with Deadhead references?
Seriously though, having spent many many evenings at various McMenamins pubs, I have to say that convenience, consistency in the menu, other amenities like sundecks (Dad Watsons, Freemont) is what kept us coming back – not necessarily the beer.
The innovation, in my opinion, is being creative with space programming and being willing to cram things imaginatively into weird places.
It isn’t rocket science – look at downtown Walla Walla and the way the old buildings have been leased out on the upper floors.
What is unusual about McMenamins is that they’re well funded, have a brand, and are still visionary and imaginative. But this doesn’t mean that someone else can’t snake the concept of “experience drinking.”
8 | Posted by China-Rider | Jun 4, 11:30 AM
This site has great visibility and excellent commercial in-fill prospects, so I understand it’s appeal. However, do we really need more opportunities for people to swill coffee or beer, no matter how tasty? I know that many of you will grumble “Pipe dream!” at my next remark but here I go nevertheless: we need to create more spaces in our city that serve to bring us together without money exchanging hands, plus support for innovative neighborhood leaders who will make these spaces work. My Tacoma-of-the-Future has more decentralized opportunities for people of all ages/incomes/etc. to gather, learn, and share, closer to home and without engaging in a transaction. We woefully lack small-scale neighborhood centers and pocket-parks. Whatever happens at this site, I hope they can at least make a free public meeting room available.
9 | Posted by alsoelizabeth | Jun 5, 08:39 AM
alsoelizabeth makes some good points. The bakery site is nearly an acre with the structure taking up most of the space. Because it was a functioning bakery until recently I’d assume it is in fairly good condition. I would like to see the site used for the artist lofts this town is sorely in need of. This too may be a pipe dream, but the location is terrific for such a project and a major arts project like this in this location would go a long way towards unifying the various neighborhoods. 7th and Sprague has tendrils in so many neighborhoods and is on the edge of so many neighborhoods.
10 | Posted by Crenshaw Sepulveda | Jun 5, 09:05 AM
I wouldn’t mind some sort of farmer’s market with some small boutique retail in that building. It’s a gorgeous structure and has lots of potential…you know, being right next to a Jiffy Lube* and all. The people living near Jason Lee are a bit shy on small grocery options unless you count Tomboy.
Well, whatever it becomes I would love to see it have some kind of relationship with the public (rather than a swank office building).
*I think it’s actually called Buckys.
11 | Posted by Peter Whitley | Jun 7, 06:58 AM
Crenshaw:7th and Sprague has tendrils in so many neighborhoods and is on the edge of so many neighborhoods.
Peter: It’s a gorgeous structure and has lots of potential…you know, being right next to a Jiffy Lube* and all.
This building is a fantastic that has a great street presence and is at a central node. Just imagine if it were right on the corner of the intersection.
To me this intersection is the entrance to the 6th Ave commercial district. With City talks about a streetcar coming up 6th, steady remodeling/improvements of the Pinch’s development, and the homeowner improvements of the 6th & Division triangle this seems to be one of those prime fringe locations. With the right development, this property could have spillover effects for blocks – including potential redevelopment of the Oil Can Henry’s quickie lube.
With an auction price this is one that could definitely make some sense – if the zoning on the east side of Sprague can be changed from mulit-family residential to the mixed-use that Pinch’s has.
(How about the City tosses in a shiny new roundabout at that Division intersection rather than a 2min light? That’d allow me to pull a legal u-turn when cruising for parking along 6th Ave rather than heading through the neighborhoods. ...only until the streetcar is in of course.)
12 | Posted by DavidS | Jun 7, 09:41 AM
while you’re dreaming, keep in mind that the building is across the street from an elementary school (back side) and a block from Jason Lee… a pub may not comply with current code restrictions
13 | Posted by Shari | Jun 7, 11:14 AM
BTW, my guess is that it will be a mixed use rehab/expansion w/ retail/office under condos… any bets?
14 | Posted by Shari | Jun 7, 02:10 PM
Note that others are consolidating property in the area as well. This bodes well for redevelopment of this intersection.
15 | Posted by DavidS | Jun 7, 03:08 PM
What about those (affordable) artist’s lofts, above a communal space open to collaborative art projects, after-school gatherings, neighborhood meetings, and affordable classes and workshops? As long as we’re having fun…
16 | Posted by Heidi | Jun 7, 03:34 PM
I see some dare to dream a Tacoma without the mixed use office/retail/condo paradigm. Get enough dreamers in this town and people will really want to buy condos here Without the dreamers it is just real estate. I’m for a little surreal estate.
18 | Posted by Crenshaw Sepulveda | Jun 7, 08:31 PM
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