The emphasis on attracting businesses focused on environmental matters to Tacoma could get a boost from the Center for Urban Waters, according to two knowledgeable observers of the local economy. Ryan Petty, director of the city’s Community and Economic Development Department, and Bruce Kendall, executive director of Economic Development Board of Tacoma/Pierce County, see potential for Urban Waters to have a positive impact on this business sector. They shared their thoughts during Tacoma City Council’s Economic Development Committee meeting on June 22.
The facility recently opened on Thea Foss Waterway. It was built to house the city’s Environmental Services Division and provide laboratories for use by city staff and researchers from the University of Washington-Tacoma. Staff from Puget Sound Partnership, a state agency, will also be located there.
Kendall said Urban Waters can be leveraged to drive private-sector investment to Tacoma. He noted this fits with a goal of the city to increase jobs in clean technology sectors.
Puyallup Tribe has a strong interest in clean technology that meshes well with the city’s priorities, Petty noted.
He suggested the council consider eliminating the city business and occupation tax for clean technology businesses that meet certain criteria. “It would be a huge stimulus for investment,” he remarked.
Petty said Urban Waters should be promoted in conjunction with 20 acres of vacant land just south of it owned by Port of Tacoma. That amount of undeveloped land on the shoreline “is a rarity in the Puget Sound. We should take advantage of that.”
Petty discussed meetings he has had with leaders at Joint Base Lewis McChord about developing closer ties between the base and the city government. As new troops arrive, he would like them to feel welcomed in Tacoma.
“We want soldiers and airmen to live here and come here for entertainment,” he said.
“A lot of times cities do not embrace the military community,” Mayor Marilyn Strickland said. “We need to change that. We have a lot of compelling stories to tell.”
Kendall discussed adding someone to his staff who could focus on filling vacant office space in downtown Tacoma and elsewhere in Pierce County.
This spring Petty and Kendall led a group of Seattle developers on a tour of downtown Tacoma. Petty said a similar tour is planned for September for developers from Portland.
Petty discussed an idea for an opportunity recognition center that could be established at a local college. This would bring people together to study how best to capitalize on the area’s economic strengths.
Councilmember Jake Fey expressed concerns that Petty’s staff might be spreading themselves too thin. “That leads to a lack of focus. We need to hone in on things and give the staff direction.”
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