August 26, 2013 · Exit133

Old City Hall Designated as Dangerous Building

The roof on Old City Hall is failing and the building has been reclassified from derelict to dangerous. The reclassification means that the City has the authority to intervene with repairs to fix the roof, preventing further damage, without waiting for the property owners to act.

The News Tribune reports that property owners of the historic building received notice of the reclassification from the City a month ago. Along with the failing roof, other problems with the structure include a leaning staircase, and fire and accessibility issues.

The TNT reports that Seattle-based Stratford Company, LLC, the property owner, responded to the notice in writing, agreeing that the copper roof on the northeast tower is in need of repair, and that they would consent to the City doing the work. The other issues will be addressed with the remodel into residential units.

Although no timeline has been given, and no movement on the project has been seen in ... a while, Stratford suggests that the turn in the economy and the arrival of State Farm may be the boost they need.

If the City does the repairs, a lien could be placed on the property.

The City (and let's face it, a lot of Tacomans) wants to see the repairs completed one way or another before winter weather arrives in a few months. I think we're ready for some good news with Old City Hall ... who wants to make it happen?

Filed under: Tacoma Landmarks, Old City Hall, Historic Preservation

4 comments

Jesse August 26, 2013

I wish the City would buy this back and make it City Hall again. They could build an annex across the street on the parking lot to the west. I think that would be the only way there'd be guaranteed upkeep on this building through the decades. Maybe then they could retrofit the Medical Arts Building into something else. UW dorms maybe? Office space? A place for all of Devita? Whatever...
Fred davie August 27, 2013

another unintended consequence of Washington states high minimum wage rate. Thanks Washington voters for interfering in the marketplace for labor.
Reagan August 27, 2013

So the city, ie. the tax payers of Tacoma will pay to repair the neglected roof of a building owned by a private company based in Seattle, in return for a possibility that a lien would be placed on the building? I may be misunderstanding this, but wouldn't that be a huge benefit to Stratford with only a possible benefit to Tacoma? Why doesn't the city just buy the property? From what I understand it's been on the market at 3 mil for some time now and with this new reclassification, it could probably go for a lot less.
Puget Park Citizen August 28, 2013

After reading Blaine's article about what holds Tacoma back, I believe the Old City Hall is a symbol for the state of Tacoma. Bring back Tacoma's Old City Hall and the city will send a big message to the citizens that we will invest in our past, in Tacoma. That building should be a public building, highlighted to show the pride we have in our city. I like the idea of connecting it it to the current City Hall. Tacoma should own and invest in the Old City Hall. I agree with Reagan; find the funds to buy the Old City Hall. One other item not directly addressed in Blaine's article is how Seattle holds Tacoma back, by dominating the regional agenda. In this way Tacoma feels like the rest of the state.