For nearly 50 years, Tacoma was home to Bill Evans, a man who left an indelible mark on the city as a whole and the Proctor District in particular. His death on November 5, 2023 was a sad day for his family, friends and all who knew him, but now there is also cause for celebration as Evans’ legacy is permanently honored by the street naming Bill Evans Place.

At the Tacoma City Council’s August 6 public meeting, Brennan Kidd, deputy director of the city’s Department of Public Works, addressed the council about passing Resolution 41500 at the request of Mayor Victoria Woodards and Vice Mayor John Hines, making the naming of Bill Evans Place official, and the council voted unanimously in favor.

This Proctor District Roadway, a one-block stretch of North 27^th The street between Proctor and Madison Streets runs alongside the Pacific Northwest Shop, which Evans opened in 1981. The fact that the street name includes the word “place” perfectly describes what this block has always been to Evans. It was truly Bill Evans’ place in many ways. Here he could be seen outside every day tending the lush and healthy rose bushes that grow there and tending the lavender bed that delights passersby with its sweet scent each spring when it blooms.

This block is also significant because it is home to the Proctor Farmers Market, which Evans helped establish in the district three decades ago.

“The criteria for awarding the honorary degrees also includes consideration of individuals who improve the quality of life of Tacoma residents through outstanding public service and leadership,” Kidd told the council.

“He was a business owner, a city council member from 2000 to 2008, a supporter of the Proctor Business District, and a founding member of the Proctor Merchants Association. He helped establish the Proctor Farmers Market… as well as Proctor Treats, and was the driving force behind the installation of the Doc Farrens clock at the corner of Proctor and North 27th.”^th Street.”

The council resolution also recognized Evans’ contributions to the city, stating, “Bill Evans was a public leader whose incredible efforts shaped our community. He served on the Tacoma City Council, helped found the Tacoma Sister Cities organization, managed a local small business, and provided community leadership in the Proctor business district through actions such as saving the Blue Mouse Theater. His legacy will continue to shine for generations to come.”

Before the City Council vote, Hines recounted his first encounter with Evans when Hines began running for City Council in 2015. At the time, the first phase of the Proctor Neighborhood Plan, called Proctor 1, was being developed, a plan that had both supporters and opponents as they considered the changes it would bring to the district. Evans was an active and vocal supporter of the plan, and some criticized him for it.

“When I think back to those conversations in 2015, I remember very clearly how much anger Bill faced when Proctor 1 came out. People accused him of destroying the neighborhood, of betraying it, and that this was the end of Proctor,” Hines said.

“Looking back, here we are nine years later and I don’t think anyone would ever say that. The reason Proctor is so vibrant and active today is because of the commitment of Bill and others like him to bring more people to this district to help us achieve our dreams of a mixed-use center where we not only have vibrant businesses but also housing where people can live and use those businesses. Proctor is an example of what we want to see in many other places thanks to the commitment of someone like Bill Evans.”

Woodards echoed Hines, saying Evans is “one of those special people” among the many who love Tacoma.

The Proctor Farmers Market location will now be called Bill Evans Place, a tribute to the man who was one of the market’s founders.

“This is an opportunity for those of us who knew him to remember him, but more importantly, it’s an opportunity for the next generation to ask, ‘Who is Bill Evans and why do we have a place named after him?'” Woodards said. “Everyone can learn about Bill and his contributions to the Proctor District. What a great opportunity for us to honor a man who did so much and meant so much to the city of Tacoma. I look forward to being there when we put up the sign and honor this great Tacoman.”

On this 30^th To commemorate the anniversary of the Proctor Farmers Market, a public event will be held there on August 24 to celebrate the newly installed signs at Bill Evans Place. These signs will be brown and will match the existing street signs for North 27.^th Street and Madison Street will remain. The official street names will not be changed by the honorary naming and the addresses will remain the same.

The next day, Sunday, August 31, the first annual Proctor Food Fest will be held on this block from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will feature 15 food trucks, live entertainment and plenty of shopping. A limited number of “Proctor Passes” will take you to new shops and restaurants and some special offers at those locations. For more information, visit facebook.com/ProctorDistrictAssociation. For more information on this event, check out the next issue of the Tacoma Weekly.

STARTS WITH THE FAMILY

Achieving a volunteer street naming is no easy task. City ordinance requires that it starts with a petition that must be signed by at least two-thirds of the property owners adjacent to the street and 50 percent of the property owners within 500 feet of the proposed street. Evans’ wife, Ann, daughter Deirdre, son Matt and granddaughter Anya Evans took on the task, and Anya said it was a wonderful experience.

“We talked about it a lot in our family and went around and got all the signatures from all the homeowners and residents,” Anya said. “It was really impressive and inspiring to see how many people were behind it and excited for it to happen.”

Son Matt Evans said the support was so great that the number of signatures collected far exceeded the number required by the city.

“The response from everyone we asked was positive. That says something about the general opinion about what my father brought to the district. Everyone was on board with the idea from the beginning,” Anya said.

“The really positive response from literally every single person we spoke to far exceeded our expectations for this to happen. It leaves a good feeling in the heart.”

For Anya, Matt and the extended Evans family, the Bill Evans Place location is a blessing.

“It’s so cool because it’s right across from his garden, and that’s really special,” Anya said. “He loved Proctor, so it’s incredible that there’s a street dedicated to a place that he loved so much and spent so much time in.”

After signatures were collected, a petition was sent to the Mayor’s office, which was then reviewed by several city departments and partner agencies, including Tacoma Public Works and Historic Preservation, the City Manager’s Office, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Human Rights, Real Property Services, the City Attorney’s Office, Planning and Development Services, South Sound 911, and Pierce Transit. All of these agencies approved the naming.

From there, the process went to the City Council’s Infrastructure, Planning and Sustainability Committee, which voted unanimously to bring this request forward to the full Council with a recommendation for approval.