Discover 6th Avenue
In the last decade, the 6th Avenue Business District has evolved into one of the most vibrant neighborhood commercial areas in Tacoma. Known for its nightlife and eclectic shopping, 6th Avenue is home to an array of restaurants, pubs, and specialty retail shops. Many area residents are attracted by the neighborhood’s historic homes and proximity to great shopping, dining, and convenient services. The Avenue is also a popular destination for students at nearby University of Puget Sound and the University of Washington-Tacoma.

Historic photo of 6th Avenue & Pine

6th Avenue & Pine in 2007

6th Avenue’s renaissance got its start in the early 1990s, when it was designated as one of six areas within the City of Tacoma to participate in the newly created Neighborhood Business District Revitalization Program. In the early years, a dedicated group of business owners on 6th Avenue partnered with the City of Tacoma to see what could be done to revitalize the neighborhood. During this period, the City’s main focus was to help business owners to organize, articulate a vision, and connect them to city services and funding sources. The City also helped to fund streetscape improvements along 6th Avenue, which included sidewalk repair, new tree installations, pedestrian lights, and street signage.

Today, 6th Avenue has grown into one of the most active Neighborhood Business District Associations in Tacoma with over 100 current members. The City’s Community and Economic Development Department continues to work with the District to provide resources to local businesses. If you are an existing business or thinking about locating your business to 6th Avenue, be sure to check out the following services:

Economic Gardening Program: The City’s Economic Gardening program helps to cultivate local businesses by providing them with the information and training that they need to be successful in today’s marketplace. The City offers an array of market research, including household demographics, consumer expenditure and industry information. In addition, the City hosts free workshops to assist businesses in sharpening their business skills. Past workshop topics have included “Driving Traffic to your Website” and “Best Marketing Practices.” For more information, please contact Christine Clifford at 253.573.2435 or cclifford@cityoftacoma.org.

Business Loan Program: The City of Tacoma offers several loan programs to assist small and medium sized businesses.  Loans of $25,000 to $2 million are available for real estate acquisition, improvements, equipment and working capital.  Interest rates for each loan differ, but are typically at or below conventional bank loans.  Standard underwriting criteria applies and borrowers are required to meet federal guidelines and regulations as they relate to the program, including capacity to repay the debt, adequate collateral, and job creation.  For more information, please contact Genal Gavaldon at 253.591.5213 or g.gavaldon@cityoftacoma.org

Tax Credit Program: A business may take a credit against its City B&O taxes for every new, permanent, family-wage job created.  The credit is $500 per year, for five-years – a total savings of $2,500.  A business must pre-apply before adding a new employee to the payroll to take full advantage of this incentive; however the business may still capture partial benefit if a permanent family-wage job has already been added in the last five years.  For more information about the current family-wage rate, how to apply, and the B&O Tax Credit application, please visit the City’s website or you can call the Tax & License Department directly at 253.591.5252.

Building Facade Assistance Program: Commercial property owners within Tacoma’s Neighborhood Business Districts are eligible to receive free design assistance from a professional architect. In exchange for these services, the property owner agrees to finance the actual construction costs, including permits and licensing requirements. For more information, please contact Kala Dralle at 253.573.2523 or kdralle@cityoftacoma.org.

Secret Shopper Program: Les Barnett at Bates Technical College offers a “secret shopper” program to assist businesses with marketing and improving their customer’s shopping experience. For more information, please contact Les Barnett at 253.680.7184 or lbarnett@bates.ctc.edu.

Your Tacoma Community and Economic Development Team

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