Pioneer [pahy-uh-neer] — noun

To open or prepare for others to follow: One that originates or helps open up a new line of thought or activity.

We opened our doors in 1985. A few other antiques shops and local businesses were here at that time. Memory Mall, The Time Machine — they have long since retired…



It has been said that you could shoot a cannon down Broadway at that time and no one would notice. (Not that any of us did that at the time, honestly.)



I consider Sanford and Son a “present day” pioneer business.



We have been here for the often-mentioned terms such as: “modification, urbanization, gentrification, revitalization, beautification and the whatyouneedifications.”



We have seen shop owners perspire, retire and expire.



Always changing and evolving…..



We helped with the start of the Tacoma Farmers Market when we had it here on Antique Row, by closing our street to car traffic, giving our electricity, water, bathrooms, whatever needed to get the foot traffic here.



The same with First Night Tacoma.



The same with the Urban Arts Festival.



We would do it again for any other burgeoning festival, etc…..



We started the S.O.B. (Save Our Buildings) movement when the City of Tacoma thought the best thing that could happen to Tacoma’s heart was to place a Big Box Multiplex right smack in the middle of it along with the other Big Box names. We fought that and WE WON! On occasion, a small voice CAN be heard, but you CANNOT back down!!



There are still some folks who believe that what we need is a big box “anchor” to bring the hoards down here.  I say NUTS to that!!



Oh yea, make this downtown look just like all of the downtowns in too many cities of America. Homogenization ……mmmm mmmm good.



I pray that we can keep them at bay.



In the not to far away future our children will be bringing their children here to see what a REAL downtown should look like (one with a HEART and a SOUL!). We will be the model for the re-creation of downtowns after they have torn down the catastrophic big box amalgamation.



We here at Sanford and Son are doing our best to go with the flow of change. Hence ,The Middle Floor Merchants, and now NINE new storefronts on the Commerce Level.



It is about keeping the heart pumping in the body of downtown. Small business IS the heart. The infrastructure …the pioneer … the local “Mom and Pop.”



I find it interesting, no, curious, listening to folks speak about the empty storefronts in the downtown core. The same folks who may work in an office downtown, the same folks who get in their cars at 5:01 and drive home or head to the mall and do not return until 9:01 the next day.



Yes of course there are a few landlords who don’t give a rat’s ass about their building being empty or not. I would have to say that that is mostly NOT the case.

If YOU want a thriving downtown, then YOU have to support it! Support means utilization! Support means going LOCAL! Shopping LOCAL!!



Get off of the Internet! Boycott the mall!



Keep your money where it means the most! PUT YOUR FEET ON THE STREET and Support YOUR downtown!



Not convinced about the Big Box option? Would you like to know where their tax money goes?? Their tax policy? Read the book Free Lunch by David Cay Johnston.



Thank you,

Cheryl Gorsuch

Sanford & Son Antiques

Middle Floor Merchants