MATT DRISCOLL: KEN GRASSI BECOMES PRESIDENT OF THE DMG >>>

Despite far less hype than other “presidential elections,” the Tacoma Downtown Merchants Group cast a few ballots of their own earlier this month electing Ken Grassi of Grassi’s Flowers and Gifts to lead the group as the new president. Grassi replaces former Downtown Merchants Group president Patricia Lecy-Davis â€" the driving force behind Embellish Multispace Salon among other notable, Tacoma-centric ventures.

For those that don’t follow the ins and outs of Tacoma’s business world or rub elbows at Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce luncheons, the main gist of the Tacoma Downtown Merchants Group is simple â€" to promote and foster downtown Tacoma businesses and back business issues through advocacy and community building â€" while promoting economic opportunities for businesses in T-town.

While Tacoma has needed an organization like the Downtown Merchants Group for what seems like forever, in economic times like these the role of such a collective becomes especially important. Wednesday news broke that Sea Grill and the UPS store at the Convention Center in downtown Tacoma will both be closing â€" just a couple of signs of how the current economic meltdown is wreaking havoc on local businesses.

For his part, Grassi is ready to take charge.

“With everything that’s going on, we have to make sure our merchants survive,” says Grassi from his store on South 17th and Pacific Avenue.

Among the strategies the Downtown Merchants Group will employ to help do that, according to Grassi, is embracing the Go Local Tacoma movement, planning a yearly event, as well as marketing Tacoma’s charm to folks both near and far.

“We want to give people the reason to go local, stay local, shop local and sleep local,” explains Grassi. “We want people to rediscover downtown Tacoma a different way.”

“Personally, being Tacoma born and raised, I have really fond memories,” says Grassi of the days before strip malls ruled the world. “I have a real big heart for downtown Tacoma.”

Considering the circumstances, that’s just one of many things Grassi’s new role is going to require.