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Projects

South Tacoma Historic Property Survey 2023-24

Update (March 4, 2024): 

The reconnaissance level survey work has been completed, with all buildings/structures over 50 years of age recorded from the public right-of-way. 

 

The intensive level phase of the project, meaning the in-depth research on specific buildings' history, is underway along with the neighborhood wide historic context. The following 10 properties were selected for intensive survey with community input:

  • Bridge United Methodist Church, 5601 S. Puget Sound Ave.
  • South Tacoma Branch, American Savings and Loan, 3501 S. 58th St.
  • Piggly Wiggly Supermarket/Franklin Food Store, 5252 S. Washington St.
  • The Opal Tavern/Beer Parlor, 5226 S. Tacoma Way
  • Southwell Schwinn's Cyclery, 5419 S. Tacoma Way
  • Ed Garceau Drygoods Store/Department Store, 5423 S. Tacoma Way 
  • Brown's Flower Shop, 4734 S. Tacoma Way
  • Kenworthy Grain & Milling Co. warehouse, 5436 S. Washington St.
  • Newbert Building, 5046-50 S. Tacoma Way 
  • Automotive garage/Dance hall, 5210-14 S. Tacoma Way

Please send comments to landmarks@cityoftacoma.org or call Susan Johnson, Historic Preservation Coordinator, at (253) 281-7445. 

 

A Historic Property Survey will be conducted within the South Tacoma Mixed Use Center (MUC) to inventory a sample of historic properties, starting in Fall 2023 and continuing into 2024. Public input is sought to help select which buildings will be documented.

 

This inventory project is led by the City of Tacoma’s Historic Preservation Office in an effort to update the city’s inventory of historic and cultural resources. One goal of the inventory is to include thorough public outreach so that we better understand what is important to the community. This project reflects our dedication to equity and antiracism and the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented.

 

The project will record approximately 200 buildings built in or before 1985, similar to the surveys done for the McKinley and Lincoln neighborhoods in 2021 and 2022.

Buildings will be documented through digital photography from the public right-of-way along with field observations on construction, materials, function, and architectural features. Historical research will be done to address the broad patterns of development for the neighborhood, not individual buildings. Inventory forms will be created in the online WISAARD database, maintained by DAHP. Current photos will also be uploaded with each form. A final public meeting will be held later next summer to report back on the project, including the survey findings.

 

The project is partially funded by a Certified Local Government grant from the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. As such, this project will comply with Washington State Standards for Cultural Resource Reporting. At a high level, this project will help the City’s Planning and Development Services office to better understand the historic resources in the South Tacoma neighborhood, for the purposes of planning, research, economic investment, and public information. There is little existing data on historic properties within this neighborhood. 

 

Do you have ideas about which buildings in the South Tacoma Mixed Use Center have historic and/or cultural significance? Let us know! 

 

Residents and business owners from the South Tacoma neighborhood are encouraged to share suggestions on buildings with community and/or cultural value that they would like to be included in the survey sample. Comments can be emailed to landmarks@cityoftacoma.org with “South Tacoma Survey” in the subject line. 

 

We want to hear the stories behind the places. Whether it's an old family story or a recent reminiscence, tell us about the places in South Tacoma which matter to you, and most importantly, why they matter to you.

 

Project Schedule

  • October 17, 2023 - Project Kickoff (in-person event) at Metro Parks Tacoma’s STAR Center, 3873 South 66th Street, from 6:30-7:30 PM. Find the Facebook event link here.
  • Fall 2023 through Spring 2024 - Research and field documentation
  • July/August 2024 - Project wrap-up and public meeting to present findings

Documents

 

Staff Contact

Susan Johnson, Historic Preservation Coordinator

Landmarks@cityoftacoma.org

(253) 281-7445

Lincoln Mixed-Use Center Historic Property Survey 2022

Status:

Completed. The final project report is now available for download.

About

The Lincoln Mixed-Use Center Historic Property Survey, which was conducted from June to September 2022, helped identify 100 buildings that are more than 50 years of age in the Lincoln neighborhood, for the purposes of planning, research, economic investment and public information. Residents and business owners from the Lincoln neighborhood were encouraged to share suggestions on buildings that have community and/or cultural value during the survey.

Buildings were documented through digital photography, field observations on construction, materials, function, and architectural features. Historical research focused on the broad patterns of development for the Lincoln neighborhood, not individual buildings. Inventory forms were created in the online Washington Information System for Architectural and Archaeological Records Data (WISAARD), maintained by Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP). Current photos were also uploaded with each form.

The survey was funded in part by a Certified Local Government grant from DAHP.

  

Project Schedule

  • June 9, 2022 - Project Kickoff (virtual)
  • June - July 2022 - Research and field documentation
  • August 2022 - Project wrap-up and public meeting to present findings

Documents

Staff Contact

Susan Johnson, Historic Preservation Coordinator

Landmarks@cityoftacoma.org

(253) 281-7445

 

 

Past Projects

McKinley Hill Historic Resource Inventory (2021)

Old City Hall Historic District Design Guidelines

Status

Adopted.  Please see Old City Hall Historic District in the Historic Districts link to the left for more information.

 

Project Description

During 2018-19, the City of Tacoma created a new set of design guidelines for the Old City Hall Historic District, located in the north end of downtown between South 9th Street, the 705 Stadium exit, A Street and Broadway.  Tacoma's first established historic district, created in 1978, Old City Hall Historic District is listed on the Tacoma Register of Historic Places, the Washington State Heritage Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

Old City Hall Historic DistrictConsisting of approximately 40 buildings, the district represents some of Tacoma's earliest and most important surviving historic buildings, including the Northern Pacific Headquarters (1888), Old City Hall (1892) and the Elks Lodge (1915).

Within the district, development projects that affect the exterior appearance of buildings or public spaces require design approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission, a volunteer citizen commission appointed by City Council to oversee historic preservation issues in Tacoma.  The Commission uses adopted historic standards and guidelines to determine whether projects are appropriate and in-keeping with the character of the area.  The Tacoma Municipal Code requires that, when a new historic district is established, a set of design guidelines be adopted to guide the design review process.  However, because the Old City Hall Historic District was created before this requirement was established, no guidelines have ever been formally adopted.  This project seeks to remedy this issue.

 

Staff Contact
Reuben McKnight, Historic Preservation Officer
Email
(253) 591-5220

 

 



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