Heres a just a little hint of what you can expect in and around the South Sound
TACOMA
A new hotel on the Foss Waterway, at last? Maybe. McMenamins new facility in the old Elks Temple near downtown? Maybe.
Can Point Ruston continue expanding and building its retail core, or will it stagnate with but a single large building completed? And how many of the 1,500 apartments on the drawing board in Tacoma will be completed as the economy continues to stew quietly? Will the economy continue to stew quietly? Will the people of the Proctor District welcome a large retail-residential complex, and how will Tacoma riders react when asked to pay to ride the Link?
But enough questions. Heres some facts.
MultiCare, the countys largest private employer, will hire a new CEO. Bass Pro Shops will open its premier Pacific Northwest store in South Tacoma. State Farm will continue expanding downtown.
Old City Hall will remain under the watchful eye of city inspectors who hope to prevent further deterioration. Wells Fargo Bank will move its downtown branch from the Wells Fargo Tower to a smaller location on lower Pacific Avenue. Columbia Bank will move from Broadway to its headquarters on A Street.
At the Port of Tacoma, officials will continue looking for buyers interested in port properties in Maytown and at the former Kaiser Aluminum facility, both now facing a second round of tire-kickers.
Mars Hill Church, home to high-energy worship music and conservative Christian views, later next month will celebrate the grand opening of its Tacoma location at the former First Congregational Church near Wright Park.