I was in there on Tuesday and the person behind the counter said they are closing at the end of the month.

Abolins has been a good Tacoma business for many years. Times they are a changin’. I still haven’t come to terms with the fact that Polaroid no longer exists.

Sad to say, at $1.6M I don’t think a food co-op will be moving in any time soon.

12th Street is an impossible place for a business (or a residence) right now. The cars just fly by, you need a permit to construct a sign anyone could actually see, and the zoning is just nonsensical.

The street consists of isolated pockets of commercial surrounded by residential that no one wants. (Would you want to live on a speedway?) The houses go on the market, come off for a month or two and go right back on the market again. It really ought to be a mixed use zone, convert some of those homes to small business/offices and get more life and foot traffic in the area. Construct some curb bulbs or other measures to slow down the traffic, and ease the ridiculous parking requirements. (There’s plenty of available street parking on the side streets.)

There’s not a single business along South 12th between Sprague and Alder that is not looking like it’s on its last legs.

Ever since R&K in Auburn closed, I’ve been going to Robi’s in Lakewood. Apart from their full stock of darkroom supplies, they’re the only store around that always has Fuji Provia, K-64, and 4×5 sheet film on hand.

Huh…I like how Jake is thinking.

A locally-owned alternative is Robi’s down in Lakewood, near Lakewood Town Center. In my experience, they are several steps above Abolins.

that building will be hard to fill

Food Co-Op???

Agree with Jamie. I’d love to have a local camera store close by, but they have to be open when I can get to them. At least part of the day on saturday would be nice.