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Fri. August 17, 2007, 06:54am PDT
Old Wonderbread/Hostess building up for grabs
That lovely old brick building at S. 7th and Sprague that used to house a Wonderbread/Hostess thrift shop is going up for bid. The 35,000+ square foot building is up for bidders and may go to auction. The space is certainly in a great spot and the brick facade is rare in this area of urban mixed-use. Zoned as a "multiple-family dwelling district" the county has the building's taxable value at near $1 million. I'm sure the structure will need lots of work but here's to hoping it's allowed to stand if it's in decent enough condition. It would sure be something to see all those boarded up windows shine again and would certainly help sustain some of the charm of this area. Maybe some nice offices, retail, or restaurant rather than the condo conversion standby so popular these days.
Link to Rainier Commercial listing (thanks Claudia!)
I haven't lived here long enough to know the place when it was open
but, having had one near a house I lived in as a kid, those thrift
stores were a great source of cheap fruit pies. Any other historical or
personal tidbits to note? What would you like to see happen with that space? Feel free to share in the comments below.
Comments (11) | To Top
8/17/2007 @ 10:05am
Great building. Could be retail below with living units above.
"those thrift stores were a great source of cheap fruit pies."
I wonder if there still have some "food" in there left. It doesn't age.
by Erik B.
8/17/2007 @ 10:13am
I know -- there could be ancient twinkies hiding behind the drywall. ;)
by KevinFreitas
8/17/2007 @ 11:57am
How about another bakery? We could use some good fresh stuff in this neck of the woods. Perhaps a small sweet neighborhood watering hole, like the Tempest or Monsoon Room? Offices upstairs. Or - my favorite - a breakfast place with organic eggs, local seasonal fare and some killer potatoes. I have not found the perfect breakfast in Tacoma yet, still dreaming about the Heartland Café in Chicago.....
by Claudia
8/17/2007 @ 12:13pm
I think to allow another commercial use the parcel would need to be rezoned. It is currently an R4 zoning which doesn't appear to allow commercial use. Also because the biz is now closed I don't think commercial use can be grandfathered in.
by Jake
8/17/2007 @ 2:31pm
Yea, saw the R4 designation. Rezoning may be an easy sell if folks want to keep the building. I hope they do. I love Tacoma's brick-ness.
by KevinFreitas
8/17/2007 @ 2:56pm
Could be a great food co-op location.
by Erik B.
8/17/2007 @ 3:05pm
ahhhhhh
food co-op
Now you're talkin'!!
by Claudia
8/17/2007 @ 8:24pm
The building was constructed in 1950 and since the bankruptcy was only three years ago, it should be in near tip-top condition.
by TheDamnMushroom
8/19/2007 @ 4:05pm
Another issue is going to be parking. Just think what the city is putting Bombay Bistro through and that is a small building. That building has no onsite parking, only street parking.
by Jake
8/19/2007 @ 6:59pm
parking? parking?
There is so much parking everywhere because so few people live in the city. Walking the Ave most evenings I have yet to see real parking issues, like people having to walk more then two blocks to get to destination. Having lived in other major metropolitan areas and Europe, parking issues in Tacoma exist in peoples heads only. Good thing we have the luxury to worry about things like parking...........
by Claudia
1/27/2008 @ 10:13am
Its a darn shame its come to this
by hostess employee