The Old City Hall bldg is hardly a pleasant environment in which to work. There is one organization still renting, it’s the AIDS Foundation. Its unsafe and creepy, (the building, not the Foundation) Three vacant floors above, in various states of remodel and decay.
A walk through the old jail protion of the basement will raise the hairs on your neck, lights on or off!
Apparently the Foundation has a water tight lease and can’t vacate without legal trouble, it’s too bad. In my opinion, the bldg needs a few million to renovate, or bring the sucker down!

About 30 years ago some bright spark had the idea to convert Old City Hall into Old City Mall. That time period also included a mall conversion of the corner building across the alley from the Rialto Theatre. And also notable from that cultural peak of Tacoma was the promenade par excellence “Broadway Plaza.” (Oh, to be young again in Tacoma’s golden era..”)

Anyway, that photo of Old City Hall is quite striking, and the view in person is equally striking. But please, anybody, don’t ask me to explain why such a unique, dominant feature of the cityscape is vacant. Ask me why the Luzon is vacant. But please, do not ask me why Old City Hall is vacant.

also I believe thorax o’tool owes us all a recount of his favorite buildings with photo documented accompaniment

Being an outsider and only living here a few years, the fact that Tacoma has all these treasures like the Elks, City Hall, the post office, the most beautiful churches on the west coast, etc (I could go on) and just lets them sit around being run down or vacant has always made me curious. Do you natives not know what you have to work with here? Has it all beeen taken for granted? Where’s the team of folks saving these places? Where’s THAT gentrificaton? Don’t wait until it’s too late. They’re wonderful!
Let’s imagine for a minute that Tacoma never bulldozed or neglected some of these items. What a town! I mean, all the old buildings that would still be here, all the nice neighborhoods in great condition, a trolly system, stores, venues. I mean, this would be one helluva attraction. It’s not too late for some places and parts of town.
Tacoma has “good bones” but noone seems to keep thier properties up to snuff. That includes the city with it’s streets and urban projects. Tacomas biggest problem is MAINTENANCE.

“also I believe thorax o’tool owes us all a recount of his favorite buildings with photo documented accompaniment“

Ask and ye shall receive… after work.

I’ll add my thoughts tomorrow after I get home.

The current City Hall, former Rhodes Medical Arts Bldg.

Built in 1931, rises 233 feet above Market Street.

It’s a classic and very prominent example of Art Deco architecture in town. The warm, earthy sandstone contrasts with the severe vertical lines. All over it are classic Deco designs

Both industrial and imposing as well as organic in materials and colors, this building is one of my favorites of any city I’ve been in. It’s just too bad the proposed second tower was never built.

Columbia Bank.
Built in 2001, it’s the only modern class A office tower in town…. for now ;)
I particularly like the staggered wall of glass.

I also like the way it comes at you on I-705… kinda like a tall ship!

More buildings I like tomorrow, after work.

More tomorrow… it’s off to be now so I can show up to work on time.

And in the meantime, enjoy this little sneak peak… it features 2 buildings I’ll highlight tomorrow.

It’s the largest single building to go up in T-Town during the Great Housing Boom. It might be a bland color and 19% empty, but I like the Esplanade.

It makes an interesting and very noticeable mark on the Foss. Especially from the other side, in the Port.

While the rooftop “plaza” on like the 3rd floor isn’t supposed to be used as such, I promise anyone with balcony access to it will be tempted…

The massing is pretty good, and doesn’t look too imposing.

The angles are strange and wonderful. This is a good building to look up at.

Also on my list… Wells Fargo.

“What?!” you ask. “That plane jane box?”
Yeppers. Granted it’s not my favorite, the building has some characteristics I like.

I love pattern and symmetry. The square grid and completely symmetrical shape certainly does not disappoint.

You’ll notice the building actually tapers very slightly on it’s way up. I’m told it helps in reducing the effect of earthquakes.
Get down on the ground at it’s feet and you’ll see that the corners are actually fluted. It’s a neat little, frequently not noticed detail.

It’s hard to appreciate from the ground, but the plaza in front has a neat brick pattern and a nice spiral staircase with a fountain below.

Some people think the building looks too dated. The groundbreaking was in 1969, and the building sure looks like it’s from that era.
But that’s why I like it. It seems like square, bland boxes were the thing in the late 60s and early 70s. Two excellent examples of what I mean: The WTC in New York (finished 1972) and Aon Center in Chicago) (finished 1973). All 3 are “bland boxes”.
Granted, Wells Fargo (a mere 338’) is dwarfed by those monsters I mentioned (WTC was 1368’ and Aon is 1136’), but the building looks like a midget member of the family.
I’m not sure if I really like Wells being the tallest in town (we can do better than 338’!), but it certainly belongs here.

Thorax,
I applaud your choices and thanks for the great pictures. The Wells Fargo Building is the twin of the former Brunswick Building in Chicago also by SOM, they were my client in SF when I worked for that late great accounting firm, Arthur Andersen. Andersen’s headquarters was in the Brunswick Bldg. It is a bit taller as I remember, perhaps 30-35 floors.

I’m actually a fan of the Wells Fargo building as well. It’s nothing glamalicious in terms of ornate finishings, but ever since I was kid I’d see that building from I-5 and knew I was in Tacoma. It’s pretty easy on the eyes.

Also on the list… the HQ of that company we wish would just make up it’s mind… Russell.

We all are familiar with the flashy front and it’s zig-zag windows visible from all over downtown.

I however really like the “backside” that you usually don’t get to see unless you frequent the port.

The way the main wall gently waves reminds me of the waves on Commencement Bay

Funny how amazingly dissimilar the “high rises” of different cultures can be. Of course, it is very interesting to note that one thing has not changed. In the past, the great monuments and buildings were to serve the local deity of choice.
We still do the same, our biggest, most expensive structures are built for the Almighty Dollar.

Speaking of Russell, financial markets and money, I particularly like this picture. The shiny Russel Bldg juxtaposed with the dilapidating infrastructure ‘round here. There’s no forgetting it, Tacoma is a blue collar city to it’s core with a healthy dose of grit mixed in.
Sure, there is room and need for white collar jobs and I gladly welcome them here.
But it’s in our best interest to not forget our roots. It’s not paper pushers that make an economy strong (I’m talking to you Wall Street); it’s useful, productive jobs that do that. A shipyard and a refinery will make for a stronger local economy than any investment bank.

“Heavenly Father, please use your Wells Fargo grater to whip me up some super-size hashbrowns.” “Amen.”