Historic Hotel For Sale: What Is The Best Use?

Built in 1925, the Winthrop Hotel was the place to stay when visiting Tacoma - then hard times fell in 1972 and the building was converted over to low-income (Section 8) housing.

1 minute read

November 30, 2003, 11:00 AM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"Take away the layers of dirt and decay and it's easy to imagine the space becoming yet another triumph of downtown Tacoma's rebirth - a neglected civic treasure reclaimed for well-heeled urban hipsters.But beneath that drafty, vacant penthouse there are nearly 200 studio and one-bedroom apartments, spaces occupied for the last 30 years by low-income residents who stayed in the city during its darkest of days.That's the crux of a dilemma that surfaced last month when the Winthrop's owners decided to put the building up for sale: Is it better to hope for a buyer willing to bring back the building to its former glory, or one who will preserve the space for affordable housing?"

Thanks to Morgan Alexander

Friday, November 28, 2003 in Tacoma News Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

Rendering of autonomous cargo train moving across bridge across river in wooded area between Texas and Mexico.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor

The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

June 17 - FreightWaves

Rendering of white three-story single-stair building in Austin, Texas with staircase in the middle.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway

Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

June 17 - Building Design & Construction

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access

MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.

June 17 - Mass Transit