When I walked Ruston Way with the wife and pup a month ago, I couldn’t help but notice all the land ripe for development on the inland side of the street. It’s pretty ugly there. As Point Ruston grows, property values and use of this road will increase and developments will become more feasible.

The railroad tracks make the property fairly shallow, which in my mind makes it perfect for creating a super-cool walkable marketfront. I’d love to see 2-3 story shops and offices on the ground level, high-rent view condos, apartments, and offices on the upper floors, and openings to the road at semi-regular intervals to access parking hidden behind the buildings.

Instead of allowing developers to add piecemeal, how about the City thinking ahead and writing a master plan? Perhaps one that maintains a sidewalk of decent width and some street landscaping? And then barring further development on the water side (with possible exceptions) to preserve the view.

Drive through? Gee – that’s so last century…
Ruston way could be incredible if it were car free. As is, well, not so much.

Is there ONE building on Ruston Way that needs to be there?

Every square inch of nature was already developed long before any of us arrived on the Tacoma scene.

Some people feel the need to tame every square inch of nature and remake it with housing, or steel and concrete whatever.

For all the talk about the “dead zones” in downtown, I would hope to see plans for future construction developments steered by whomever toward the specific business districts set aside long ago for such projects.

Some one asked me the other day….

Will the North End Neighborhood Council be sucessful in halting the Sperry Ocean Dock project?
The three biggest complaints are pollution, noise and bright lights and a condo would address all three of the main complaints.
If so, would the property owner kick out the other boats and build a condo building the size of the grain silos?

One would hope not.

“Is there ONE building on Ruston Way that needs to be there? Every square inch of nature was already developed long before any of us arrived on the Tacoma scene.”

Although I agree with your sentiment Mofo, I can’t help but point out minor technicalities, because that’s the type of a** h*** I am; nothing personal.

That said, most all of the land along Ruston Way, from the smelter to downtown, from the railroad roadbed to the water, is fill. In fact, Ruston Way was originally filled in for a CMSTP&P railway industrial line that went to a car ferry at about N. 49th St.

Press Release from the MOFO NEWS NETWORK:
Dateline 4-4-08

MNN has recently learned that proposed transportation company Tacoma Stagecoach is seeking to build their central headquarters on Ruston Way near Puget Creek. Tacoma Stagecoach will further seek right of way travel access along Puget Creek Trail to Puget Park and beyond to North 33rd and Monroe ST where they propose to build a way station and coffee shop.

When asked for comment, Tacoma Stagecoach visionary MFTH said, “The gulch from Ruston Way to Monroe ST is an underutilized and underserved area.”

A car-free Ruston way would be GREAT

Here we are talking about sidewalks and drive thru coffee bars and the City and Metro Parks can’t even get the Chinese Reconciliation Park started and finished. Lets finish one promised project before starting another. I realize that this is private development, but why isn’t this City showing outrage at the neglect of action on CRP? The horrors of what this City did in 1895 continue to be ignored. Lets get this done before we put our efforts into yet another coffee shop.

J. Cote @16, You are right. Is there anything we can do to help the reconcilation project? What is going on over at Metro Parks? This is not the first neglected project I have heard of lately.

NSHDscott @15, I like your dream. Can we please add dedicated bike lanes, separate from traffic and pedestrians? Extend the bike lanes from downtown or Dock St to Pearl and the dream is complete!