News and notes for this week

Several items of news and note for this week:

• Water shut off on Thursday
  All water in the building will be shut off on Thursday, 3/23, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for a repair.

• Do you want to use the Community Room on Easter? 
  A drawing will be held Tuesday, March 28th at 12:00 p.m. for a chance to win exclusive use of the Community Room on Easter Sunday, 2017. In the past, the Community Room has not been reserved for specific holidays, but this year it was decided to open up certain days via a drawing (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.). If you would like to enter the drawing please come to the office to enter, sometime before noon on 3/28. The normal rules for use of the room still apply - a damage deposit is still required, and a fee may be required based on the number of guests.

• Guest speaker next Tuesday
  The Social Committee has now hosted three guest speakers in its series of "Esplanade Speaker Forums." These are not decision-making forums, but invited guest speakers. The next speaker, on Tuesday, 3/28 at 7:00 p.m., will be Ricardo Noguera, the Community and Economic Director for the City of Tacoma, who will speak and answer questions about development in Tacoma. In May, Bill Barsma, a former mayor of Tacoma, will speak on the city's history.

• Work starting on 15th Street Bridge
  Work has now started on the 15th Street bridge outside the Esplanade. The work is part of the larger "Prairie Line Trail" project running through downtown. Residents should expect occasional closures of the pedestrian walkway and re-routing of vehicle traffic while the work is underway.
  
  
  
  
  For those who need more background on this subject...
  You can see all of the city's plans, drawings, and timelines HERE, and also a very thorough PowerPoint HERE. However, in brief form: The Prairie Line Trail is the recently-completed pedestrian thoroughfare that runs through the University of Washington Tacoma, and also the trail section currently under construction along Hood Street, between the Tacoma Art Museum and the Tacoma Children's Museum. 
  
  The plan calls for beautifying and widening the pedestrian walkway along 15th as it crosses the railroad tracks and curves down to Dock Street. This walkway, of course, is visible from half the units in The Esplanade. My understanding is that the improvements to the walkway will involve removing the concrete planters, replacing the existing guard rail with a more aesthetic railing, resurfacing the sidewalk, and placing art on the light poles.