Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center Merritt & Pardini Architects / HOK, arch. Wyn Bielaska, design arch. Mulvanny G2 Architecture, design arch. M.A. Mortenson Co. (Bellevue), contr. Huitt-Zollars, Inc., urban design Conventional Wisdom, space planning Nakano Associates, landscape arch. Stuart Keeler & Michael Machnic, design artists -277,000 total sq. ft. -51,500 sq. ft. exhibition hall -largest freight elevator in Tacoma -$84 million cost (construction only) -ground breaking 9/12/2001 -construction started 11/1/2002 -dedicated 11/13/2004 T.Weekly 7/24/1998 p.5 A new, expanded convention center TNT 8/26/1998 p.A1 $43 million convention center on wish list Business Examiner 9/7/1998 p.4 Tacoma Convention Center challenged by details (sketch of proposal) T.Reporter 9/10/1998 p.3 Tacoma convention center plans call for pizzazz TNT 3/24/1999 p.A1 Convention center put on new track; price climbs; opening delayed until 2002 TNT 8/25/1999 p.A1 New convention center to be on Pacific Avenue TNT 12/16/1999 p.B1 Four firms apply for Tacoma project TNT 1/5/2000 p.A1 Convention center price goes up $10 million TNT 2/13/2000 p.A1 History under the pavement; Puyallups say convention center site has cultural, archaeological importance TNT 3/31/2000 p.A1 Two visions compete to build center; Tacoma to choose a contractor soon ... TNT 4/4/2000 p.A1 Convention center proposals unveiled TNT 4/15/2000 p.A1 City staff chooses contractor for center ... still needs council OK TNT 4/19/2000 p.B1 Tacoma OKs deal on mission, center TNT 5/1/2000 p.A1 Nostalgia gives way to rebirth of city core ... businesses ... leaving their longtime locations ... TNT 8/13/2000 p.SL3 "Tempest" duo will create art for Tacoma's new convention center (artists Stuart Keeler and Michael Machnic) TNT 10/24/2000 p.A1 Convention center's land getting costlier TNT 2/21/2001 p.B1 Cost estimates jump for convention center TNT 6/27/2001 p.A1 Center's start, finish could pose problems TNT 7/11/2001 p.B2 City approves $120 million finance package for new convention center TNT 8/15/2001 p.A1 Tower pitched as city symbol (sketch) TNT 8/18/2001 p.B1 Architecture spurs visions of fast food, "The Jetsons" TNT 8/20/2001 p.A1 Tower's design is attracting attention T.Reporter 8/23/2001 p.6 Hundreds of beautiful convention centers and one ugly one (sketch) TNT 8/24/2001 p.1 Convention center close to final design (sketch) TNT 9/9/2001 p.B1 Maybe there's a good reason for the tower after all T.Daily Index 9/13/2001 p.1 Greater Tacoma convention center launched TNT 9/13/2001 p.B1 Convention center receives subdued launch TNT 2/25/2002 p.A1 Convention center faces new scrutiny; drop in tourism could prompt scaling back T.Reporter 3/21/2002 p.7 Something in common; new proposal offers open space option for convention center plan (diagram) T.Weekly 3/22/2002 p.A1 Full speed ahead for convention center (sketch) TNT 3/24/2002 p.B1 Dislike convention center tower idea? Well, now there's more to hate p.B12 Uncommon opportunity ... Tacoma Commons (sketch) TNT 5/19/2002 p.D3 Old-growth timbers will rise again in new convention center (project by artists Stuary Keeler and Michael Machnic) TNT 8/9/2002 p.B1 Planner's ask, "plaza or park?" (proposed Pacific Square) TNT 9/5/2002 p.D1 Gonna get down and dirty (il of site) T.Weekly 10/18/2002 p.A3 City finalizes agreement with convention center contractor TNT 11/2/2002 p.B1 Breaking ground on growth (il) T.Daily Index 11/5/2002 p.1 Ground broken for Greater Tacoma Convention Center (il) Business Examiner 11/11/2002 p.11 Convention center breaks ground with some high-impact projections (il) T.Daily Index 12/11/2002 p.1 A look - inside and out - at convention center (sketch) T.Weekly 12/13/2002 p.A1 Council examines designs for interior ... (sketch) Business Examiner 12/23/2002 p.1 3-D video provides a virtual tour of the as-yet-unbuilt convention center (sketch) TNT 1/7/2003 p.D1 Building the "aura of new Tacoma" TNT 1/26/2003 p.E1 The future is now; Tacoma projects image ... as it competes for convention-visitor business TNT 2/19/2003 p.A1 The man who designs Tacoma TNT 2/21/2003 p.B1 Workers unearth artifacts downtown TNT 4/6/2003 p.A1 Towering dream of architects, city leaders may clash with reality 400-foot spire would change the skyline (il under construction) T.Daily Index 4/9/2003 p.1 Council wowed by new convention center spire design (sketch) TNT 4/9/2003 p.B1 Council awed by spire design - and price tag (sketch) T.Weekly 4/11/2003 p.A1 City Council ponders proposed downtown tower (sketch) TNT 4/12/2003 p.B1 Callers tell city to spike those plans for spire TNT 4/13/2003 p.B1 Tower advocates suffer from edifice complex TNT 4/14/2003 p.B4 Opinion ... tower could add flair to convention center (sketch) TNT 5/21/2003 p.D1 A work in progress (il under construction) TNT 7/30/2003 p.B1 Going up downtown (il) TNT 9/3/2003 p.B3 Artwork for convention center approved ... ("Apotheosis" by artists Stuart Keeler & Michael Machnic) TNT 9/11/2003 p.D1 You can go up in history ... (topping out celebration) TNT 9/13/2003 p.D1 Convention center hits a milestone (il) T.Daily Index 9/24/2003 p.1 Taking shape (il) Business Examiner 9/29/2003 p.1 Convention center spire could be built TNT 10/1/2003 p.A1 City can fund $7 million spire, officials say (sketch) TNT 10/2/2003 p.B1 How blurred is vision to build spire? Oh, about 20/7 million T.Weekly 10/2/2003 p.A1 City Council close to giving spire tower green light (il under construction) TNT 10/4/2003 p.B1 Readers fail to see a point to "poor man's Space Needle" TNT 10/11/2003 p.B1 Build the spire? Depends on point of view TNT 10/13/2003 p.B1 Proposed spire elicits cynicism, optimism - and realism TNT 10/15/2003 p.D1 Coffee roaster hopes to get in on spire's ground floor TNT 10/17/2003 p.E4 Three convention center art projects OK'd ("Apotheosis" by Keeler & Machnic, a terrazzo floor by Yuki Nakamura & Joe Miller and restroom stall art by Alex Schweder) TNT 10/19/2003 p.B11 For civic icon, let Tacomans rally 'round the arc p.D3 Convention center spire won't inspire N.Y. Times 10/27/2003 p.A11 A city seeks its identity atop a spire of debate TNT 11/4/2003 p.B2 Group sues over convention center ... question financing methods TNT 11/27/2003 p.B1 Plenty of daylight (il under construction) Business Examiner 1/5/2004 p.4 Convention center taking shape, event bookings (il) p.23 A candid conversation with Wyn Bielaska T.Weekly 2/26/2004 p.A1 Convention center booking future events (il) Business Examiner 5/10/2004 p.1 Conventional wisdom (il) TNT 9/5/2004 p.A1 Profit center? Tacoma's new convention facility isn't allowed by law to make money, but supporters believe it will drive the downtown economy (il,interior il) Business Examiner 10/25/2004 p.13 Center looking at early opening (interior il) TNT 11/7/2004 p.D6 Grand opening weekend (ad,il) TNT 11/8/2004 p.B6 Now the hard work can begin TNT 11/10/2004 p.A1 Contemporary art infuses and informs convention center (interior il) TNT 11/11/2004 p.A22 Grand opening weekend (full page ad) (il) T.Weekly 11/11/2004 p.A1 New convention center opens ... (interior il) TNT 11/14/2004 p.A1,A8,A9,A14 First visitors love the views at Tacoma's new landmark (il, floor plan) TNT 11/23/2004 p.B1Equipped for crisis, big and small TNT 4/30/2005 p.A1 The Eiffel was once called folly, too ... resurrects plans for a massive spire ... TNT 5/15/2005 Insight p.1 Landmark or lunacy? Two views on proposed spire ... (sketch) TNT 8/12/2005 p.D1 UPS store to open downtown TNT 11/13/2005 p.A1 Front & center; year-old convention facility beats business expectations ... (interior il) TNT 4/30/2006 Insight p.1 Public art success story (il of painting trip tych "Royal Court" by artist Michael Brophy) TNT 5/1/2008 p.B1 It's all becoming clear now (il of window washers) TNT 4/26/2009 p.B1 Quite a talented crowd; open auditions ... TV's "America's Got Talent" ...) TNT 10/4/2009 p.E1 Arty potties (interior il of "Lovesick Walls" by artist Alex Schweder) TNT 7/11/2010 p.A1 GOP leader addresses Afghanistan remarks (appearance by Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele) (il) TNT 1/29/2011 p.A13 A man of convention- all wisdom (il of David Bobo) TNT 4/29/2012 p.A1 Convention center might tap general fund: Operation does well, but bookings lag (includes list of major events) 979.7788 G1351D p.125 (il)