July 22, 2013 · Exit133

Proposal Would Relocate Pierce County Offices to Old Puget Sound Hospital Site

Pierce County is considering a project that could have a big impact on downtown Tacoma.

The News Tribune reports that the County is considering tearing down the old Puget Sound Hospital building at South 36th and Pacific, which has been sitting vacant since 2011, and building a new 225,000 square-foot office building to centralize many of its offices and programs. Pierce County Council and Executive offices would move, as would workers from the County Annex building, while law and justice offices would stay downtown in the County-City building.

The $67 million project would be funded through a private-public partnership that would allow the County to issue tax-exempt bonds for the project, and make the developer responsible for cost overruns. Pierce County would lease the building at a fixed rate, and own it after 25 years. The County is estimating that the consolidation of programs and employees would save it just shy of $40 million over 25 years.

The move would shift a large number of County employees from the County-City building an other leased spaces to the county-owned Puget Sound Hospital property near the Lincoln District. It would bring 980 employees together in one location - bringing people and their wallets to that corner of Tacoma.

The project has the endorsement of Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy - does it have yours?

Filed under: Neighborhoods, Lincoln, Pierce County

7 comments

Jesse July 22, 2013

I like the old Ladenburg plan of building the consolidation site across Tacoma Avenue from the City-County building. If you're going to consolidate operations, why not consolidate operations? If you can't even get the county to build in the downtown grid, then... I give up...
Justin Camarata July 22, 2013

Yes - this is a great idea on all counts.
Jake July 22, 2013

I think the county needs to slow their roll and look into more options. Are there options Downtown/Dome District where all of those employees with have transportation options as well as dining options? Is their a developer with land that is willing to do a swap or some other configuration? That area around Pacific Ave. is strongly single-family residential. The plan now sounds almost like Pierce County wants to set up a suburban shop in the middle of Tacoma.
Hunter George July 25, 2013

@Jesse, we looked at the Ladenburg proposal for a downtown site. It adds millions of dollars to the cost - likely tens of millions because of the limited footprint. It would be a much taller building stacked on a parking garage. The hospital site keeps it to a 3- or 4-story building with enough existing space for parking. @Jake, we've been studying this for a few years now and reviewed various options. Keep in mind, we are required by state law to base the county's operations in the county seat. Ultimately, instead of leasing space in 8 buildings, as we do now, we'd lease-to-own one building. That's less expensive, and it provides better service to the public. You can see for yourselves by downloading the 24-page report (plus the supporting appendices) here: http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/index.aspx?nid=100 Hunter George Pierce County
- Jesse July 25, 2013
  
  Introducing 980 employees to an area of single family residential is better that putting them in the downtown grid? What about the economic impact it would create downtown? Look what the State Farm deal is doing for downtown... that isn't a factor?
Jesse July 25, 2013

@Hunter George: Was the economic impact of both the Ladenburg proposal and the hospital site examined? I am sure that the local economy would get more of a jolt, over the next 50 years (or however long the County is there), with the Ladenburg site in the form of employees living within walking distance in denser housing, employee lunches out on the town, etc. As well, the parking lot in a new building downtown could be used for commerce parking on the weekends for the up and coming neighborhood directly down the hill. Also, you have the unique opportunity to actually consolidate everyone onto one campus with the Ladenburg plan. That doesn't save any money today or over the next 50 years?
Jake January 23, 2015

There are plenty of development areas in downtown or the dome district that could accomodate this site. 46 million for the parking garage would not be necessary if the city partnered with another developer who owned land and wanted to share a development project to include parking. In addition, if you were close to light rail, you wouldn't need all of that parking! 50 year plan needs to be considered. It's not just about the cost of a parking garage. You will only reach this building by car for the next 50 years, bypassing the benefits of light rail. With the growth of a downtown core, comes growth in the neighborhoods around the core. WIthout the core strength, nothing will change in Tacoma. To get new investment dollars, consolidating large buildings into a core brings more investors to this great city. This is a poor decision and the building should be placed downtown or the dome district.