Proctor District, Tacoma, Washington

{{Short description|Tacoma, Washington neighborhood}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Refimprove|date=August 2017}} The '''Proctor District''' is a business district in the north end of Tacoma, Washington. Primarily a center for locals to shop, the District has cultivated a small town "urban village" character.

==Businesses== Situated in Tacoma's North End, the Proctor District is home to many small businesses. The Blue Mouse Theatre, built in 1923, is the oldest continuously operating movie theater in Washington. The Blue Mouse was open for 90 years in November 2013 and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2010.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Karabaich |first=Caroline Alise Denyer Gallacci and Ronald E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6QegAQAAQBAJ&dq=Proctor+District,+Tacoma,+Washington+blue+mouse&pg=PA109 |title=Vanishing Tacoma |date=2013 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-4671-3028-8 |language=en |page=109}}</ref>

The center of the Proctor District is located at the cross streets of Proctor Street and North 26th Street in Tacoma. The 1927 Proctor Street bridge just north of the district was rebuilt in 2006.

A major commercial and residential development, Proctor Station, has been a controversial project due to its size and cost. It offers retail on the ground floor with apartments in the five floors above that. A proposed similar project at the other end of the Proctor District promises to be more controversial with many local residents formed in opposition and attempting to lower the height limitation from 65 feet to 45 feet, a move developers oppose as it will limit the profitability of the project.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Proctor neighbors wary of second 6-story apartment building |language=en |work=thenewstribune |url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article107425297.html |access-date=2017-12-25}}</ref> As of July 2022, the new building, Madison 25 has been constructed and provided 141 units to the neighborhood. A third building, Proctor III, was developed by the Gig Harbor-based Rush Companies. <ref>{{Cite news |last=Cockrell |first=Debbie |date=October 31, 2021 |title=Neighbors fought it, but work's begun on apartment project in Tacoma's Proctor District |work=Tacoma News Tribune |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article255356026.html |access-date=July 24, 2022}}</ref>

==Schools and libraries== The Proctor District is the site of two public schools: Washington Elementary School<ref>{{cite web |last=Cafazzo |first=Debbie |date=August 29, 2016 |title=That big sound you just heard? It's a Tacoma Public Schools building boom |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/education/article96909302.html |work=The News Tribune |access-date=2026-03-29}}</ref> and Mason Middle School.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cafazzo |first=Debbie |date=December 6, 2016 |title=Tacoma middle school boundary changes could start in fall 2017 |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/education/article117592248.html |work=The News Tribune |access-date=2026-03-29}}</ref>

Proctor contains the Wheelock branch of Tacoma Public Libraries, the busiest library in Tacoma.<ref>{{cite web |last=Most |first=Becca |date=May 30, 2025 |title=Closed since March for repairs, busiest Tacoma library branch set to reopen |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article307455116.html |work=The News Tribune |access-date=2026-03-29}}</ref>

==Farmers' market== Proctor hosts a farmers' market on Saturdays.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Powers |first=Zach |date=2022-05-11 |title=Tacoma’s Proctor Farmers’ Market cheerfully builds community every single Saturday |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/vendors-at-tacomas-proctor-farmers-market-cheerfully-rise-to-the-occasion-of-building-community-and-relationships-every-single-saturday/ |access-date=2026-03-29 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The market started in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |first=Kristine |last=Sherred |title=From ‘Wild West’ to sales in the millions. How a Tacoma market became part of city’s soul |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/entertainment/restaurants/tnt-diner/article287922470.html |date=26 June 2024 |website=The News Tribune}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == *[https://shop.theproctordistrict.com/ Proctor District Association Website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20050828163120/http://www.proctorbusinessdistrict.com/ Neighborhood Tacoma Business Districts - Proctor Business District]

Category:North Tacoma, Washington Category:Neighborhoods in Tacoma, Washington