Exit133

November 11, 2014 · Exit133

Plans for New Pierce County Admin Building

Last week the Pierce County Council got a look at plans for a new County administration building. The building will go where the former Puget Sound Hospital currently sits empty, and will house Pierce County employees currently at the old Pierce County annex, or in rented office space in downtown Tacoma.

The $90 million, 300,000+ square-foot building would contain office space for 1,300 County employees, including the Pierce County Health Department. Although costs are still in flux as design plans are finalized, the County could come close to breaking even on the first day of occupancy, based on the amount of money to be saved on rented office space, and other efficiencies allowed by the consolidation.

The old hospital on the 13-acre site would be torn down next spring, and construction on the new building could start early next summer, with doors open to the public as early as November 2016.

Plans shared by The News Tribune, show a somewhat imposing looking; nine-story; steel, glass, and brick structure. The upper floors would offer views of Mt. Rainier, Commencement Bay, and even Gig Harbor.  

There's no wood included in the design currently, but architects say there's room for incorporating one of the major products of Pierce County into entry areas, the lobby, and Council chambers. Brick called for in the design would be distinctive, Pierce County-made made clinker bricks, similar to those you can see on some historic downtown Tacoma buildings.

The hope is that it would act as a catalyst project for that section of Pacific Avenue. Architects describe the design as "welcoming, approachable, and transparent," as you would want your County government to be.

What do you think of the plans?

Find images and read more about the project, including the lease-to-own deal with the developer, from The News Tribune. Previously from Exit133: Proposal Would Relocate Pierce County Offices to Old Puget Sound Hospital Site.

Filed under: Neighborhoods, Lincoln, Developments, Pierce County, General Services Building

15 comments

  • talus November 11, 2014

    The rendering makes it look like a high class jail.

  • john alvord November 11, 2014

    About as welcoming, approachable and transparent as the black monolith in Space Odyssey 2001 was to the trembling hominids.

  • Doug Andreassen November 11, 2014

    It seems to me that if Pierce County has 90 million to spend or commits to 90 million to spend, on a new county seat, then the priorities are backwards in this county. With the amount of social service issue that need addressing, from the homeless to domestic abuse, combined with the plethora of other social issues in our county, that a new county hall, would be the last item on the agenda. Understanding the savings from consolidating of staffing,, this still makes no sense to construct a building that simply is not conducive or representative of our voters or our population. Lets start electing politicians who understand these issues that will help our county residents as a whole and the few that think a new building is a good expenditure of taxpayers money.

  • xeno November 11, 2014

    Looks a bit like the German Politburo on a wedge of cheese and a courtyard as aimless as the colorless denizens walking about it.

  • Jesse November 11, 2014

    Consolidating is great but the proposed site at the hospital is out of context, away from the City-County building, and will ruin that neighborhood. Injecting 1300 county employees inside the downtown grid, within walking range of shopping, restaurants, and rail transit would cause so much more development. I would love to see a head to head economic impact study for both sites. I mean, State Farm, with it's 900 call center jobs was the catalyst for many new developments finally breaking ground. This hospital site is walking distance to nothing, and therefore won't amplify the $90m spent in peripheral business. I can't believe the county is being this short sighted. Ladenburg had a plan to consolidate that put a similar building on Tacoma Avenue across the street from the County-City building. The County owns the land there right now! Why not there? It's some more money for a garage but there are things (jail services?) that can be negotiated (hell, the city was going to give McMenamins a parking garage, why not 1300 employees?) with the city to make the county site come up as a win for Tacoma and the County. I hope this isn't Pat McCarthy's legacy project because history will be judging this harshly. :(

    • Dan November 11, 2014

      So...when it is Downtown, it is a "catalyst", and when it is in a neighborhood directly adjacent to Downtown, it "will ruin the neighborhood". This location is in a Community Center as identified in the comprehensive plan for Tacoma. "The community center is to be a concentration of commercial and residential development...The community center should provide a focal point for many nearby neighborhoods and may often include a unique attraction that will occasionally draw visitors from throughout the rest of the city." (City of Tacoma Comprehensive Plan, Generalized Land Use Element, SectionII - Mixed-use Centers) I understand the importance of redevelopment in the downtown, but other mixed-use centers in the City also need catalyst projects to kick start their own revitalization. To meet regional growth targets Tacoma doesn't just need Downtown to grow, but Hilltop, Proctor, South Tacoma, Fern Hill, Lincoln, Mickinley, and Pacific Avenue. At least this building is on the #1 bus route, which makes it much more accessible than the current Annex site for those getting Marriage Licenses, or applying for building permits. For residents of Southeast Tacoma, Spanaway and Parkland it will be more accessible than the County City building area. The county serves more than just Tacoma, but really, this project serves Tacoma's goals as outlined in comp. plan very well.

      • Jesse November 12, 2014

        Nine story buildings containing 1300 employees belong downtown - not in a comminity center - which is basically meant to be smaller than a business district and bigger than a convenience store.

      • Terry November 12, 2014

        I agree Dan. It's important to remember that this a County office and not a City one. The site has excellent freeway access, so it's easy to get to from Gig Harbor, Eatonville or Puyallup. Tacoma is lucky to get this project, I'm sure space could be made in Parkland for it. (but the Pacific Ave site is really the best for everyone)

    • Jesse November 13, 2014

      There is one other alternative I thought of that I'd like to throw out there. What about building at the Ervin Haub lot at 13th and Pacific Avenue (the big surface level parking lot there) but create a deal with Haub that the County BUY floors in the building he wants to build there. He wants, so I hear, a 34 story (or about) building there right in the middle of Pacific Avenue in downtown. The County could purchase floors out of the building kind of like a condo. That way the County owns their spot in the building and can buy or sell floors according to their needs, expansion or contraction, in the future making it "future proof." It would amplify their investment in that there would be many businesses wanting to be in the building just to be by the County offices as well. It would put the 1300 employees downtown and create foot traffic. Hell, maybe they could sell the first 4-6 floors to a mall like Simon Properties or Westfield.

      • Jesse November 13, 2014

        Sorry, 16 or more floors: http://www.techzone360.com/news/2006/08/18/1816308.htm

  • Jayson November 11, 2014

    A ghastly looking thing, reminiscent of Soviet and Nazi architecture. Why is the county leaving the downtown core? How does this bring increase density downtown Tacoma? Whee will 1300 employees eat their lunches, shop? It looks like something deliberately designed to seem imposing, block out light, and separate people from their government. A terrible design and an even worse location. A monolithic disaster.

  • Talk about GHASTLY - Have you seen the 'proposed' November 11, 2014

    I agree with the posters' take on the looks of this building... it is HORRIBLE! Like a jail. Which design firm did the rendering? In keeping with this theme of nasty-looking design work, why are we hiring out-of-town Architects to design what should be designed by some exceptional Architects native to the PNW? My upset is with the new golf 'resort' planned for Chambers Bay! OMG.. this thing is a monstrosity. I hope that the planners or the city visionaries or whoever has the final say on it do NOT approve it! There is absolutely no consideration given to enhancing or embracing the PNW and it's environs- only to put a concrete and glass megalith similar to Emerald Downs in an area of such pristine beauty- and to make $$$$- THIS from an Architecture firm from LOS ANGELES!! There have got to be people reading this blog and shaking their heads... Step up Architects of T-Town... push some buttons... win the work!!

  • sid November 11, 2014

    Interesting that all those folks could have taken the light rail to work, on the same avenue they are attempting to revitalize. Tacoma is so backwards.

  • Terry November 11, 2014

    Ah, how come when anything nice is built in Tacoma, it's almost never on the Eastside? The Downtown and the Northend have gotten enough toys (starting with the light rail to nowhere). I live next to this project and I love it. It's just a big office building, ample parking, good freeway access and money for one of the poorest sections of the City. Or would the Downtown and Northend power brokers want to take this away from the Eastside and build some more @$#%^& public housing projects on this site? Haters gonna hate I guess...

  • Howie November 13, 2014

    I don't think the question is which neighborhood should get the new admin building but why do we continue to get poorly design buildings in Tacoma. This building is apparently designed specifically to fit in this count. in other words it would look much better if it was in the designer hometown since its obviously better than Tacoma. If the local government agencies would hire local talent who take pride in the Pierce county and Tacoma community the outcome would match the aspirations of the local community for their building. Until than we keep getting buildings that don't fit or are down right ugly and dark. One only has to look at the new Amtrak station design or Gray Middle school to see what outside designers think of Tacoma. To say that the building is brick to represent the brick producing heritage of Piece County is funny since we have never had a major brick plant, that was Renton in King county, just shows how little they know about our neck of the woods. I think its time to start over with this design, keep it where it is just make it a better fit for our community.